Tears and Marble
by RedRoseCrime
Summary: It's Draco's 6th year at Hogwarts and he is struggling with his new identity and duties as a death eater. He meets a Gryffindor girl who, against all odds, reaches out to him when no one else does. They start falling for each other but their different worlds make their relationshop dangerously fragile. What will happen when they discover both of them carry a horrible secret...?
1. Luca Starling

Luca Starling

Draco Malfoy wasn't in a good mood at all. He had spent the whole night in the room of requirement trying to make any sort of progress on repairing the vanishing cabinet that was in there. So far, he'd been utterly unsuccessful. Frustrated and heavy with tiredness, he dragged himself back to the Slytherin common room and pretended to be up early. Not that he thought Crabbe or Goyle would notice he'd missed breakfast. They weren't exactly the most attentive kind of friends.

In Transfiguration class Draco wasn't able to concentrate on anything longer than a few seconds. Instead of transfiguring his water goblet into a living rat, he had managed to replace the glass with a brown fur and rattail. Parvati Patil and her other Gryffindor friend Lavender Brown had started giggling and pointing at his squealing goblet. Draco was so pissed off that he'd tried the spell on Lavender next, who sprouted whiskers and a tail and started crying.

It had earned him a few laughs from his fellow Slytherins, but Professor McGonagall hadn't been so appreciative. An afternoon of detention was awaiting him. Draco, who knew better than to argue with Professor McGonagall, resided to his fate with rising anger in his chest.

 _Those stupid girls_. They had no idea that he had far more serious matters on his mind than Transfiguration class or some pointless detention.

Draco waited in front of Professor McGonagall's office. It was a quarter past 5 and all of his other classes had ended. Draco hoped that whatever Professor McGonagall was going to assign to him, it wouldn't take more than an hour. He was in a desperate need of sleep.

Then the door opened and Professor McGonagall stepped into the hall. She gave Draco a sharp look and said: 'Follow me mister Malfoy.' Draco slugged after her in a pace that Professor McGonagall seemed to find utmost annoying, for she repeatedly told him to hurry up. Finally, they reached the trophy room on the third floor.

They entered the room, and Draco who had expected it to be empty, was surprised to see that there was already someone waiting there. A girl with long, hazel brown hair and pale blue eyes was leaning against one of the marble statues in the middle of the room. She was reading a book with a dark leather binding but put it in her bag the moment the door opened. The golden lion on her robe told Draco that she was a Gryffindor.

'Ah, miss Starling. You and mister Malfoy here will be polishing the trophies in this room together. By hand.' McGonagall emphasized the last two words. 'No magic allowed. I will send mister Filch to check up on you every half hour or so to make sure you are performing your tasks as ordered.'

Draco felt another stab of annoyance. Polishing silver all evening was one thing, but having to do it in the company of a Gryffindor was simply too much for him. 'Please, Professor, can't we do our detention in different rooms? Or at a different time perhaps?' he asked, trying hard to ban the frustration out of his voice.

Professor McGonagall raised one eyebrow. 'Performing a spell on a Gryffindor girl is what got you into this situation mister Malfoy. I can hardly agree to remove all of them from your sight simply because it doesn't please you.' She gave him a hard look. 'Try to behave yourselves.' She disappeared into the hall, leaving Draco, and the brown-haired girl, behind.

Draco let out a sigh and dropped in a chair at the large table in the back. The girl didn't move. Draco put his bag on the floor and studied her under his eyelashes. She was fair skinned and fairly tall, though she must have been at least several inches shorter than him still. Her face was heart shaped and her long hazel brown hair fell like a waterfall down her back. Draco had to admit that she was quite pretty.

The girl caught him staring and gave him a curious look. Quickly he adverted his eyes. If she expected friendly chatter from him, she could forget it.

'So, you're Malfoy?' To his surprise, the Gryffindor sat down next to him and gave him another examining look. She didn't sound unfriendly but she wasn't smiling either. Draco frowned slightly. 'Why? Do you know my family?' he snarled at her. Her eyes narrowed. 'Something like that.' Draco sighed. What was that supposed to mean? He had a feeling that whatever she knew about him, given the fact that she was a Gryffindor, would not make him very popular.

He had to admit that he was a little bit curious about her. She didn't seem shy and far from the giggling type. He could give it a try. 'Starling, are you? Never heard of that name.' The girl next to him didn't seem bothered by that fact at all. 'I didn't expect you to.' She took out her wand and flew a set of trophies towards them. They landed on the table with a light thud. 'Let's get to the polishing then. If we don't hurry up, we will sit here all night.'

Draco's frown deepened. She wasn't giving him any information. He was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable around the mysterious girl. Most sixth-year girls he knew were the kind who either tried hard to ignore him, or looked up to him because of his family's status. From Gryffindors in particular, he didn't expect any friendly behavior. Slytherin and Gryffindor had been rival houses for centuries. Most of the time they hated each other on principle.

This girl however, gave out an aura of a stubborn sort of self-confidence that Draco couldn't seem to penetrate. He suddenly wondered what she had done to be given detention by Professor McGonagall. Next to him, she'd started to polish the first trophy without any further ado. Draco picked one up himself and cursed under his breath. For a second he saw the girl next to him grin.

'What's so funny if you don't mind me asking?' he spat at her. His annoyance from earlier came rising up again. 'Nothing… This just really sucks, don't you think? This detention… And no using magic…' She sighed and put down the golden cup she was holding. 'There should be a way to speed things up, right?' Draco gave her a blank look. Of course he wanted to get out of there as fast as possible but he thought it to be rather reckless to cheat his way out of this one. If they were caught, he had a feeling that it wouldn't just be one night of polishing trophies for him.

'Oh, come on, Filch hasn't even showed up yet.' She sounded genuinely surprised at his lack of enthusiasm for the plan. Draco folded his arms and tried to maintain his uncaring and smug exterior. 'Go ahead if you want. I won't be risking any more detention today. If that old bat catches you she will punish you for the rest of the week. You do realize that, right?'

The Starling girl seemed to consider that remark for a moment. Then she bent forward, until her face was just a few inches from his. Draco made out a few freckles on her nose and his mouth dried up slightly.

'Scared, Malfoy?' She drew out the last syllable with a daring look in her eyes. Draco felt his stomach convulse when she'd said his name. He noticed her eyes were almond shaped and had long, dark lashes. Quickly he rose from his chair.

'You wish Starling.' His tone was sneering as usual but he didn't feel sure of himself at all. She just shrugged, got up, and drew her wand. She pointed at a few of the objects before them and firmly said: ' _scourgify._ ' It worked perfectly. The trophies shined and blinked as if they were freshly polished.

Draco shook his head in disbelief. 'And what if Filch turns up and asks how we did these all of these in 10 minutes?' He tried to keep his voice annoyed rather than scared. The girl raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly. 'Oh, I'll just tell him that I'm an excellent cleaner. Or that you are an excellent cleaner, whichever is more believable.' Draco let out a scornful hiss. 'In my house, we have servants for that kind of stuff. You know, house elves. I have never cleaned anything in my life.'

If he thought that would impress her, which he was only half sure about, he was mistaken. Her smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of disdain. 'Why would that be something to be proud of,' he heard her mumbling to herself. His grip on his wand tightened. Why did all Gryffindors have to be the muggle-loving kind who didn't see the value of true power?

At that moment, the door to the trophy room opened and Filch came shambling in. 'Why aren't you two polishing?' he growled at them in his usual grumpy manner. They both kept their silence and Filch raised his head suspiciously towards the Gryffindor girl. 'Ah I see. You two think you can use this time to have a nice chat ey? Getting to know each other are we? Why put a boy and a girl in detention together anyway? This is what you get,' he muttered.

Draco was a bit taken aback by Filch's reaction and stared at him for a moment. Is that what they were doing? Getting to know each other? Surely Filch must have noticed they were in rival houses. In his opinion, all they had done so far was disagreeing. The girl pointed at the polished trophies and hastily said: 'No mister Filch. Look, we did all of these already.' She glanced at Draco for a moment, as if to signal him to confirm her story.

Draco quickly nodded. Filch grumbled something and sat down in a corner of the room. 'Get to work! I'm here to make sure you do your job and then off you go.' For the next half hour, they sat in silence as they polished the silver and golden plates, cups and medals in the room. Draco was just about to finish cleaning his fifth Quidditch Cup when loud snoring rose from Filches chair. He had fallen asleep with his head cocked to the side and his mouth hanging wide open.

Draco had trouble staying awake himself. He put the cup next to the others that were finished and nearly knocked a few over. He looked to his side to see if the other student had seen his shaking hand but she was looking at the silver tray she was polishing. At that moment, she grinned and gave him a funny look. 'He's really out of it.' Malfoy assumed she meant Filch, now blowing bubbles of saliva in the corner of his mouth every time he drew breath. 'Yeah.' He rubbed his eyes furiously.  
He didn't know how much longer he could keep them open. The lack of sleep was now seriously taking a toll on him.

'Hand it over.' It was the girl next to him, her hand outstretched and pointing at the medals he still had to polish. Draco looked at her with suspicion. There was enough work at her side of the table, why would she want his? Then he felt her fingers slightly grasping his as she pulled the medals from his hands. 'You look like a ghost do you know that? Put your head down for a minute. Filch isn't going to rat you out, that's for sure.'

She was smiling at him and he felt his stomach convulse again. What was wrong with him? And why was she being so nice to him? Not a moment ago, she had him feeling like a coward and a spoiled brat. Draco, still staring blankly at her, didn't know what to say. 'Come on. It's for my own benefit actually. If you get any sleepier you will knock over all of our stuff and we'd have to start over again.' She started to polish the medals with a determined look on her face. Draco muttered a soft 'thanks', and laid his head on the table. He was out in less than a minute.

He woke up by the soft touch of a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively he shot up and looked around in bewilderment, his wand at the ready. Next to him stood the girl with the long hazel hair, a surprised look on her face. 'Calm down. I was just trying to wake you. We can go now.' Her bag was on her shoulder again and the trophies were back in their cabinets. She had finished all the remaining work by herself, he realized. He felt a wave of gratitude wash over him.

'Better let Filch sleep. He might not appreciate it when we wake him at this time of night.' Draco looked at the clock in the middle of the room and saw that it was already past midnight. The girl turned around and started walking to the door. Draco followed her.

When they entered the hall, they both stopped and looked at each other. Draco felt strangely indebted to the blue-eyed girl and he did not like it. He didn't usually owe anyone anything, especially not a Gryffindor student.

'Get some rest Malfoy.' The girl gave him an odd sort of look that he couldn't place. Was it pity? Sympathy? Disdain? He couldn't tell. 'What's it to you?' he murmured back, avoiding her gaze. She pressed her lips together, shook her head lightly and started walking in the direction of the Gryffindor tower. He felt his heart sink a little. He'd surely offended her, but he couldn't think of anything else to say to her.

When Draco was back in the Slytherin boys-dormitory he expected his eyes to fall shut the moment his head touched the pillow. Instead, he lay awake for hours, analyzing every action and word the Gryffindor girl had spoken to him. He knew there were far more important matters he should be concerned with. And even though it made no sense to him whatsoever, when he finally closed his eyes, he got the best night's sleep he had in weeks.


	2. Potions and Parties

Potions and Parties

When Draco rose the following morning, his thoughts immediately turned towards the conversation he'd had last night. 'Get some rest Malfoy,' the girl had said to him. He now regretted not asking for her first name. Her last name, Starling, still didn't ring any bells. Still, there couldn't be many Starlings at Hogwarts and he knew what year and house she was in. There was a great chance he would run into her again, he thought with a crooked smile on his face.

Crabbe and Goyle were waiting for him in the Great Hall for breakfast. 'How was detention last night Draco?' Crabbe asked with a mouth full of porridge. 'That Lavender Brown totally had it coming. McGonagall is always picking on you.'

Absentmindedly, Draco poured himself some pumpkin juice. 'Yeah, it was a bloody waste of time of course. Miserable old bat. I will make her pay one way or another,' he said, more for Crabbe and Goyle's benefit than anything else.

The day dragged on endlessly after that. He didn't see the girl from detention, which seemed odd to him considering the Slytherin and Gryffindor sixth-years had Potions and Transfigurations together.

Maybe he had only mistaken her for a sixth year, he contemplated during dinner. Or maybe she was ill, or took different subjects.

'Draco!' Pansy Parkinson waved one hand in front of his face to get his attention. 'Where's your head at?' She looked upset at his lack of response to her usual stories. 'Ah, it's nothing.' He got up and headed back to the Slytherin common room. He picked up a book but it couldn't hold his interest for long.

When Blaise entered the common room, Draco walked up to him and engaged him in conversation. When he felt it safe, Draco casually asked him: 'Have you ever heard of the name Starling?' Blaise frowned slightly.

'I know one. A sixth year. She's a Gryffindor I believe. Her name is Luca Starling. What's it to you?'

So her first name was Luca. Somehow Draco thought it suited the sharp-tongued girl perfectly. 'Oh, it's nothing really. We both had detention last night and she mentioned she knew my family. I had never heard of her so I was just checking whether she was lying or not.' Blaise raised his eyebrows.

'She knows your family? That's quite rare for a Gryffindor. Maybe your dad is her father's boss or something. Or maybe she is one of those filthy mudbloods that has a vendetta against the Malfoys. Who knows?' He grinned, clearly amused at the idea of Draco being in detention with a girl who despised him.

Draco didn't pursue the subject. He didn't want Blaise to ask more questions about Luca or why he was interested in her. After all, he didn't know himself how much he actually wanted to know.

What if she indeed held a grudge against his family? She might be avoiding running into him for that very reason. Then he remembered how she had helped him out during detention. She had even told him to rest up. Surely, she would not have done that if she hated his family. Confused with his feelings and thoughts he went to bed early.

The following week, Draco was more absent minded than ever. He was far behind on his homework, hadn't seen Luca in any of the lessons, and most importantly, the vanishing cabinet still wasn't working properly. He had successfully transported an apple two weeks ago, but since then any living creature that he used for testing came out in lifeless form. It was constantly gnawing at him. The insecurities, the pressure, the guilt, and his pride _. His stupid pride_. What if he couldn't live up to the expectations of Lord Voldemort?

Every time he closed his eyes he saw that pale face again, the flat nostrils flaring, those red eyes staring at him. Every nerve in his entire body had been pierced by waves of fear and resentment when Voldemort had spoken directly to him and explained what was expected from him. It was a mental image he would never be able to erase from his memories.

There was no one he could talk to about his task except Snape and Draco did not want to talk to Snape at all. All that he had done so far, was make Draco feel weak and inferior. He'd decided that over Snape's continuous sharp comments and critique, he preferred no help at all.

'Mister Malfoy!' the voice of Professor Slughorn called Draco back to the present. He had been staring absentmindedly at his cauldron for the last ten minutes. 'You've not yet handed in your essay on anti-dotes. I expect it on my desk by tomorrow morning and no excuses this time!' Slughorn's tone was final and Draco fought back the urge to shout back at him the words he was dying to get outfor weeks. _I can't do this. Any of this._

When Slughorn raised his eyebrows, clearly expecting an answer, Draco nodded briskly and pretended to read the instruction for the sleeping potion they were brewing.

At that moment, the door to the classroom opened and a girl hurried in. Draco regarded her quickly and felt his heart leap when he recognized the elegant features. It was Luca Starling. She looked a bit flushed as she hastily took out her book and walked over to the other Gryffindors.

'I'm sorry I'm late Professor. I have a note from Professor Snape.' Slughorn, who had apparently taken a liking to the girl, shrugged it off with a fatherly smile. 'No worries, no worries. There is still plenty of time left on the clock. Perhaps you can help mister Malfoy over there. He seems to be very lost.'

Slughorn pointed at Draco and Luca's gaze met his. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly as she walked over to him, her Potions book clutched under one arm.

'You look terrible Malfoy. I guess you didn't take my advice.' Draco was just about to sneer back at her when she stepped a little closer into the light of the dungeon. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and her skin was paler than before with a greyish tinge. She looked slightly ill.

'Mind your own business Starling', he muttered back. Luca seemed to have noticed his examining gaze, because she suddenly looked a little uncomfortable.

'You really haven't followed any of the instructions. First you need to mix the juice of these beans with an essence of Boomslang skin and stir it.' She started cutting and squeezing the purple, chicken egg sized beans that were in front of them.

Draco could see that she really knew what she was doing. Suddenly he remembered that Luca said that she had gotten a note from Professor Snape. He couldn't imagine a Gryffindor student, no matter how skilled at brewing potions, getting permission from Snape to be late for another class.

'So, you finally turned up for class Starling? What were you doing all week anyway? Not out in the sun obviously, you look like whiter than the Bloody Baron.' It was Pansy Parkinson, who was standing two tables away with her gang of Slytherin girls. All of them giggled maliciously. Luca looked up and gave them such a forceful look that even Draco felt slightly intimidated.

'It's no concern of yours Parkinson,' she replied in a dark voice. After that, Pansy and the other Slytherin girls left her alone. Luca finished brewing the potion by herself while Draco stood next to her, occasionally attempting to help her cut something. She shrugged off his help however, as if to say she worked faster without his assistance. He couldn't really blame her. He was feeling utterly drained and useless today. Even though talking with Luca, even just the sight of her, strangely lifted his spirits.

At the end of the class, Luca turned around and crammed her book back in her bag. 'See you.' She wanted to walk away but Draco quickly grabbed her arm. Her eyes found his in an instance and Draco saw them widen with surprise.

'Wait… ehm…' Draco quickly let go of her and ran a hand through his white blonde hair. 'That's twice now that you've helped me out. I think I should at least thank you.'

Luca smiled vaguely and he could see her muscles relax again. 'It's okay. Like I said, it's as much for my own benefit as yours.' For a moment, they just stood there, looking at each other in silence. Then Luca said: 'Well, I should get going. Plenty of unfinished homework to neglect and such…' Her voice trailed off.

At that moment Slughorn walked over to the two of them and eyed Luca with a friendly smile on his face. 'That sleeping potion was absolute perfect miss Starling. You've really outdone yourself this time.' Luca smiled politely at Slughorn.

'Thank you, Professor.' Slughorn then turned to Draco. 'Since your performances in class have been rapidly declining mister Malfoy, I was going to suggest miss Starling as your partner in Potions class. You can learn a lot from her. If, of course, you are to agree with this miss Starling?' Slughorn looked at Luca expectantly and for a moment Draco thought she was going to turn him down.

But instead she flashed him a bright smile and said: 'Of course Professor. No problem at all.' Slughorn clapped his hands in delight. 'It's settled then.'

He turned away, then froze, suddenly seeming to remember something important. He turned back to Luca and started speaking excitedly. 'Ah yes, there was one more thing. Every year I host a Christmas party for a …. select group of students. A small event of course with a Christmas banquet, a live band and enough drinks to keep us jolly for the whole evening. It's been an immense success every year I must say. I've been wanting to invite you, miss Starling. I can't believe it almost slipped my mind.'

He laughed heartily and patted Luca on the shoulder. 'You are allowed to bring one other student as a guest. A pretty girl like yourself shouldn't have trouble finding a date I imagine!' Slughorn let out another thundering laugh and Draco started feeling very ignored. Not that he actually fancied an invite, but it felt strange standing next to Luca, overhearing all this, as if he were a close friend of hers who just happened to be around.

If Luca was thrown off because of Slughorn's sudden invitation or his remark about her ability to find a date, she didn't show it. 'Thank you, sir. It sounds lovely.'

Draco wondered if she really wanted to attend the party or if she was simply being polite. It couldn't be easy saying no to Slughorn when you were one of his favorite students. 'Excellent. Look out for your invitation card then. The time and place will be in there. Now off you go.'

Draco and Luca, now the only two people remaining in the dungeon, climbed the stairs back up to the corridors together. Draco couldn't help but glance at her from the corners of his eyes. Her warm, friendly expression had vanished and she looked even more drained than before. When they reached the corridor, Draco saw Luca hesitating, as if she was lingering there on purpose to talk to him.

'It looks like I'm tutoring you now. Why can't I seem to get rid of you?' For a moment, Draco thought her to be genuinely upset, but then he saw her face. She was smiling again. It was a different smile than the one she had given Slughorn. This was a cheeky smile, almost a smirk.

Draco couldn't help but replicate her expression. 'I could ask you to same thing, Starling.' It felt very odd to be smiling like that. It was as if muscles in his face had to work extra hard. He realized that it must've been weeks since he had laughed, or even smiled, genuinely.

'Are you really going to that Christmas party?' It was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Luckily, Luca didn't seem to find it a strange question and simply answered: 'Dunno. Maybe.'

Then she smirked again, her blue eyes sparkling. 'Why? Want to be my date Malfoy?' Draco felt his face flush. Why did she always make him lose his cool? She was clearly joking, so why did he suddenly feel so damn nervous? He felt as if she had caught him red handed while he was doing something illegal. Trying to ignore the loud pumping of his heart in his throat, he blurted out an answer.

'Bloody hell Starling. I have standards.' He regretted the words as soon as they crossed his lips. Something dark flickered in Luca's eyes. Then, she snorted mockingly and shot him a gloomy look underneath her long eyelashes. 'Careful now Malfoy. You don't want to be on my bad side.' she said, her voice as icy as her gaze.

She turned around and treaded away, her long hair swinging behind her. The small spark of glee Draco had felt when he and Luca had laughed together vanished on the spot. He knew it was his own fault that she had reacted the way she did. It was just that he had no idea how to respond to her when she surprised him like that, with her cheeky comments and penetrating looks.

He started walking back to the Slytherin common room with a restless feeling in his stomach. This evening he had to go back to the room of requirement again and work on the vanishing cabinet. He wasn't going to allow his mind to wander off this time. Harry Potter was rapidly becoming more and more suspicious of his actions and even though Draco had no trouble shaking him off so far, the extra precautions he was forced to take were driving him mad.

It was 7 in the evening when Draco snuck out of the Slytherin common room, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle. The two still had no idea what he was trying to accomplish during all these secretive trips to the seventh floor and he intended to keep it that way. They were curious enough at first, but Draco had crushed their weak attempts to figure out his plans immediately.

'Just do what you're told, no questions asked', he had barked at them during their second week back at Hogwarts. Not that they needed much persuasion after he'd showed them the Dark Mark on his left arm. Draco now felt as if his friends were too afraid to ask any more questions, or that they were perhaps even happy that they were not in on whatever dark endeavors Draco was up to.

'You know the drill. If someone passes or lingers in the hallway you give the signal,' Draco said when they reached the seventh floor. He found it necessary to repeat this particular instruction every time he went into the room of requirement, simply because he thought that trusting Crabbe and Goyle's short term memories would be a stupid mistake.

'Got it?' he asked sharply when he got not responses from the two Slytherin boys. Both grumbled a short reply.

Draco walked past the wall three times and saw a door appear. 'I'll be back in a few hours. Stay put.' He vanished into the room, being completely alone for the first time in a week. He was overwhelmed by the silence and the emptiness of the room, even though it was packed with junk.

There would be no one to help him if he didn't succeed again. No one to share his ever-growing burden with. It all came down to whether he was capable enough to perform the task that Voldemort had given him.

He had been proud at first: glad to be chosen, eager to prove himself. He'd seen it as a chance to save his family's reputation among the Death Eaters, an opportunity to prove himself cleverer and more cunning than anyone at Hogwarts, including his arch enemy Harry Potter. His father would never doubt him again and be released from Azkaban. His mother would finally see that he was nog longer a little boy, and might stop treating him like one.

It quickly became apparent that the task was much more difficult to execute than Draco had initially anticipated. Not only did he seem to have no luck at all in most of his attempts, the pressure and the guilt were soon consuming him day and night. He began questioning his morals only to be crushed by the thought that failure was not an option. He would pay with his life.

His fate rested entirely in his own hands. If he failed, he would not live to see his seventeenth birthday and there would be no one to blame but his own stupid self. That thought was more than Draco could bare. Especially now that he had started doubting if he really wanted to succeed. There was no turning back once he executed Voldemort wishes. He would forever live in the shadows.

Draco walked up to the vanishing cabinet and drew out a role of parchment from under his robes. The message was transported quickly and successfully.

The remainder of the hour, Draco experimented with various spells and objects, trying to make the cabinet ready for human transportation. The first few objects came back in their full form. Once he tried transporting a sparrow however, it became clear no progress had been made. When he opened the door, he discovered the bird lying stiff on its back, unmistakably dead.

With a cry of horror and frustration, Draco seized a glass vase that sat on a stool nearby and smashed it into the wall. It shattered into a million pieces and they fell to the floor with the sound of a large wind chime. Something snapped in his mind and he couldn't stop himself anymore.

He picked up a hand-painted bowl and slammed it into the ground with all his might. He staggered on his feet, breathing hard. He wanted to get out of there but he had no idea where to go. Deciding that anywhere was better than here, alone in his misery, he grabbed his bag from the ground and ran out of the room.

Crabbe and Goyle were waiting there, looking like they had just been dozing off when Draco's appearance shook them awake. 'I'm done. Go back to the common room,' he growled, unsuccessful in hiding his frustration.

Both did what he asked without any comments and Draco started walking in the opposite direction. His mind was racing fast, his heart pumping in his throat. What he would have given to run into Harry Potter right now. He wanted to get some of his aggression and energy out, and what better way was there than to fight a hated enemy.

He ran up the stairs, cursed a few Hufflepuffs who were in his way and found his way up to the astronomy tower. He had expected it to be deserted since it was well after hours and the grounds were looking dark and gloomy. Yet, he heard voices coming from the top of the tower. One he recognized almost immediately. It was Professor Snape. The other one sounded familiar too but he had a bit more trouble placing it in his mind. It was a girl's voice, sharp and sounding rather mutinous.

Draco felt a jolt in his stomach. The voice belonged to Luca Starling.


	3. The Astronomy Tower

The Astronomy Tower

'I understand Professor. I told you I appreciate all of the effort on your part, but I refuse to be commanded like a dog.'

'No one is commanding you. I'm simply advising you on how to deal with the situation at hand. You must not forget, miss Starling, that you cannot be reckless. The consequences would be severe, not only for you, but for everyone involved.'

'I know that… Professor.' Luca's voice trembled lightly. She sounded just as impatient as Snape, but there was a hint of something else, something she was clearly trying to ban from her voice.

'I just… I'm not sure how to keep this a secret.' At that moment, Draco realized what it was. Fear. Luca was clearly afraid of something but didn't want to let it show in front of Snape. Draco couldn't blame her. Snape was hardly the consoling type.

'Just do as we discussed and tell nobody. That will be enough for the time being.' Snape said briskly. A short silence followed. Draco could only hear the soft flapping of cloaks in the wind and the screech of an owl nearby.

'It is getting late. You should go back to your house,' Snape's dark voice spoke again. Then, without warning, someone was descending the stairs. Draco only just managed to hide behind a stone pillar when Snape passed. The last thing he wanted was to explain himself to him again. Particularly now that his mind was temporarily focused on the conversation he'd just overheard.

He waited for Luca to come down the stairs too, but a few minutes passed and Draco heard no signs of movement on the top of the tower. Was she waiting for someone else? Or perhaps she just wanted to be alone. He knew all too well what that felt like. Still, the urge to distract his tangled mind from his own misery, and see the only person that had managed to make him smile for the first time in weeks, was overpowering him.

Quietly, Draco walked up the spiral stairs to the top of the tower. The night had fallen and the dark, starry sky stretched far and wide around the Hogwarts grounds. At the far right, leaning against the marble banister, stood Luca Starling. Draco felt a jolt in his stomach at the sight of her. Her long hazel hair was softly dancing in the wind and her gaze was fixed upon something in the far distance. Her front wasn't facing Draco and he was sure that she hadn't hear him enter. Not sure what to say, he cleared his throat.

Luca jumped a little and turned around. The moonlight fell on her elegant features and for a moment she looked almost inhumane, a wild, savage expression on her beautiful face. Then the moment faded and he saw that her eyes were slightly red and watery. 'Malfoy.' Luca's voice was a bit hoarse but steady. 'Were you eavesdropping?' Her eyes looked at him with growing suspicion. Draco didn't want to upset her even further but also didn't want to lie to her. 'I happened to catch a little of your conversation', he said, trying to sound casual.

Luca ran a hand through her long hair. Draco noticed that it was shaking slightly. 'Now what? Are you going to tell the whole school that I have some sort of secret?' Luca snapped at him, suddenly sounding hostile. Draco took a few steps towards her. They were now standing mere feet from each other. 'No.' Draco's voice was soft but resolute.

'I know what it is like to have a secret that you're not able to tell anyone about it. Something that consumes you, day and night…' His voice trailed off. Luca's eyes widened and an expression of utter confusion surfaced on her face.

'You… you have a secret too?' All the hostility suddenly seemed to drain from her. She looked extremely vulnerable, trembling slightly in the wind, her eyes still a bit red, her face pale and shadowy.

Draco knew that he shouldn't have said that. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone about his task, but something about Luca's words had made him want to confide in her. He wanted to comfort her, help her, hold her.

That last thought made his knees weak. He had never felt like this about a girl before; like he wasn't in charge of his own mind or his actions when she was around.

'Yes.'

Luca gazed into the grey eyes of the pale, tall boy standing in front of her. She found him terribly hard to read. Most of the time he seemed to be confident and arrogant, making snide comments to anyone he thought to be beneath him.

Luca quickly discovered that was a mask, under which he was hiding his true self. Draco seemed to feel easily threatened and from what she knew about his family, he was also under a lot of pressure to be the best at everything. She had seen him a few times, poking fun at Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom, both classmates whom she fairly got along with.

Luca had written him off as a bully and a typical Slytherin. Still, she couldn't help herself noticing his fierce grey eyes, handsome posture, and charming smile. She knew that somewhere deep inside she had a soft spot for the blonde Slytherin boy. It couldn't even be called a crush, for she had never actually met him. She was sure however, that if she ever did, she wouldn't like his attitude one bit.

Luca proved herself only half right. There was enough not to like about Draco's constant pretense and arrogance but there was something else about him that drew her inexplicably near. Luca wasn't sure what it was and she cursed herself for feeling that way about a boy like Draco. Nothing good would surely come of it. What was more, his father was a Death Eater. It was better to stay away from anyone who was that closely associated with the dark side.

Her heart on the other hand, did not listen. And now, here he was, telling her that she was not alone. _That he had a secret too_. Luca knew instinctively that he wasn't lying. The look in his eyes seemed sincere and there was something in the way he spoke that reminded her of herself. He was definitely not faking this. Yet, she had no idea why Draco would allow her to know anything about him that would put him in a delicate position.

'Does it have something to do with your slashed hand?' Luca asked in a soft voice. She had noticed his bleeding hand from the moment he had set foot on the tower-roof and it seemed an innocent enough way to break the silence. She had no idea how else to respond to the revelation the silver-haired boy had just made.

Draco seemed slightly confused, gaping at the cuts in the palm of his hand and then back at her. 'Oh, this.' He cleared his throat. 'That was a stupid accident.' It was as if he hadn't even noticed the wounds until now. Luca drew out her wand. 'Do you want me to heal it for you? Some of the cuts seem rather deep.' Draco looked indecisively at his hand. 'That's okay. I'll just patch it up later,' he said. Luca saw a mingled look of surprise and something close to annoyance on his pale face. She frowned and gently took his hand in hers. 'I'm very good at healing spells. You don't want to risk infection.'

Draco felt his face grow hot. His heart was suddenly beating a bit faster than normal. There was something very intimate about her holding his hand like that, something he couldn't explain to himself if he wanted to.

Just like before, when she had helped him out during detention, he hadn't been expecting this sudden act of kindness from her. Although he wasn't in life threatening danger, Draco was thankful Luca had felt that his wound needed immediate attention. The only person he knew who cared for him like that, was his mother and she hadn't really been herself since Draco's father had been taken to Azkaban prison.

Luca mumbled a spell and slowly drew circles with her wand over the palm of his hand. Within a minute, most of slashes had healed completely. Luca examined her work closely, then let go of his hand. Draco noticed his hand had become a bit clammy and hoped Luca hadn't noticed. 'That should do it.' Draco smiled appreciatively at her. 'Thank you.'

Luca nodded and avoided his gaze. Draco felt like he should say something more but he didn't know what. 'So, you promise not to tell everyone that me and Professor Snape are hiding something from the rest of the school and I won't ask why you were so far away from the Slytherin common room this late at night with a wounded hand,' Luca said, and her blue eyes fixed on him again. Draco stared back and almost forgot to answer. Only when she raised her eyebrows expectantly did he mumble: 'Yeah.'

Draco thought he saw a glimpse of a smile on Luca's face and suppressed the urge to smile himself. Being with her, he had momentarily forgotten about his own troubles and felt strangely liberated.  
'We should go back, if Filch catches us…' Luca didn't finish her sentence. Draco cleared his throat again and ran a hand through his white blonde hair. He vaguely wondered if his hair was now as disheveled as Potter's hair usually was, but he couldn't stop his nervous tics from taking over.

'Yeah, we better.' They started walking down the stairs, but just when they reached the bottom, Peeves the poltergeist appeared. He let out a scream of delight upon spotting Draco and Luca, who looked quite guilty and were clearly breaking school rules.

'Looky what we have here! Students out of bed! Malfoy and Starling sneaking off together! Looky everyone! Malfoy and Starling kissing on top of the astronomy tower!'

Peeves' screams echoed through the deserted halls. Draco felt some color returning to his face and his heart started beating so loud that he was afraid Luca would be able to hear it. Luca, also looking quite unnerved, drew out her wand and yelled: 'Shut up Peeves!'

Peeves ignored her and continued to sing and yell while whizzing through the halls until he was out of sight. Draco gave Luca a quick look. 'Let's hurry up before-' But before he could even finish his sentence, Professor McGonagall appeared at the other end of the hall. She approached Draco and Luca with a mixed expression of disapproval and utter disbelief.

'What is the meaning of this? Why are both of you not in your houses?' she asked sharply. Her gaze was shifting between Luca and Draco, as if she couldn't figure out why the two of them were together.

Draco, who had no real excuse, was hoping Luca would say something. Fortunately, she did. 'I'm sorry Professor. I was called to Professor Snape's office for an unfinished assignment. I ran into Malfoy on the way back.' Draco, who was quite amazed at Luca's capability to come up with an explanation on the spot, dared to now look directly at McGonagall. Professor McGonagall however, seemed less impressed.

'It looks, however, like both of you came from the astronomy tower.' Her eyes fell upon Draco's almost healed hand. 'Professor Snape asked me to follow him here because he was sending an owl later, so I walked with him. Running into Malfoy was just a coincidence,' Luca explained calmly.

Professor McGonagall straightened her glasses. 'Right. Well, even if you were accompanied by Professor Snape, lingering in the halls after hours is a violation of the school rules. You both know that security has been tightened since last year,' she said to Luca.

Then she turned to Draco. 'And as far as your whereabouts are concerned Malfoy, I will have a firm word with Professor Snape about this. You are both extremely lucky not to receive detention tonight. Now return to your dormitories immediately!'

With Professor McGonagall's eyes in their backs, Draco and Luca started to walk to the end of the hall. When they had vanished from Professor McGonagall's sight, Luca let out a deep sigh. 'That was close.' Draco assumed she was referring to the fact that they had escaped their transfiguration teacher without punishment.

'Yeah.' He smiled involuntarily. 'Peeves. This is exactly what is wrong with this school. They cannot even ban a bloody poltergeist from their grounds,' he said with clear contempt in his voice. To his surprise, Luca smiled back at him. 'Perhaps you should go to Dumbledore then and voice your concern with him. Or start a petition to banish Peeves from Hogwarts.' It was clear as day that she was making fun of him but Draco didn't care.

Luca's lighthearted jokes were what made him feel like a normal student again. Not a sixteen-year-old Death Eater with a father in Azkaban and a deranged aunt who spent the whole summer teaching him the art of occlumency. He tried to push back a smile but was unsuccessful.

'You think my ideas are ridiculous, don't you?' he asked casually while they strode through the corridors together. 'No, I don't think your ideas are ridiculous. I think your _father's_ ideas are ridiculous,' Luca answered simply. Draco frowned in confusion.

'Are you insulting my father Starling? cause-' Luca interrupted him. 'I'm not insulting anyone. I'm just saying that you're trying so hard to be like your father. Why?' Her eyes glittered in the dark shimmering light of the lanterns on the walls. Her voice had become soft, gentle even. 'I think you are different from him.'

They both came to a halt and looked at each other. Draco's mouth became dry and his hands were sweaty again. He didn't understand why Luca's words made him so nervous. She certainly had a lot of nerve to draw conclusions about his and his father's personalities straight to his face. That was just how she was, Draco thought, and he felt an involuntarily wave of admiration. She seemed so fearless most of the time, the way her blue eyes pierced him and held him captive while he tried to make sense of the feelings her words sparked within him.

'How do you know? Do you know my father?' It was the question he had been dying to ask ever since she'd mentioned to be acquainted with his family. Luca's reaction however, was again evasive. She avoided his gaze and looked up the staircase as she answered. 'Only vaguely. Let's just say that he used to be a family… acquaintance.'

Draco frowned at those words, now more confused than ever. Luca's family and his father knew each other? But why didn't he recognize her last name? And why had he never seen her before? Surely his father didn't keep a secret relationship with a family that wasn't strictly pureblood or did not live by the same morals as the Malfoy family.

'Hold on.' Draco tried to catch her eyes again. 'Why have I never seen you before then? Your family name doesn't sound familiar either.' He knew the curiosity in his voice was obvious but he didn't care. Luca's face contorted a bit, as if she was in pain. It looked like she was having an internal struggle, twice turning to face Draco and opening her mouth to speak but changing her mind at the last second.

Then, she sighed deeply and looked at him with big, sad eyes. 'It's not important. I just hope that I'm right about you. You seem…', she looked at the ground for words, her eyes shooting rapidly over the stone tiles.,'… like a good person,' she concluded with great difficulty.

Draco felt a slight burning sensation in every part of his body. He was rendered a bit speechless. Had she guessed what position he was in? Did she somehow know of the black mark that was burned in the skin of his left forearm?

No, she couldn't. He remembered the stunned look on Luca's face when he had told her he bore a secret as well. Before he was able to speak another word to her, she took a few steps up the stairs and said: 'Good night Malfoy.' Draco watched her ascend a little further before he snapped out his reverie.

 _Good night… Luca_


	4. Hogsmeade

Hogsmeade

When Luca awoke the next morning, the event of the previous night came back to her in flashes. Malfoy's sudden appearance at the astronomy tower: his beautiful grey eyes sparking in the moonlight, his silky blonde hair, messy from the sweeping wind, his gentle voice when he confessed that he too, was hiding something from the world.

Luca felt a tingling feeling spreading through her entire body that had nothing to do with the morning chill. She couldn't explain the effect he had on her. In front of the Slytherin, Luca was usually able to keep a cool exterior, speaking normally and repressing the urge to make nervous gestures. What the tall blonde boy didn't know however, was that at the same time her insides felt as if someone had stirred them violently and then set them on fire.

At breakfast, it quickly became apparent that the fact that Luca and Malfoy were caught late at night in front of the astronomy tower by Professor McGonagall, had become the newest piece of student gossip.

Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley, both good friends of Luca, sat down at either side of her, looking excited and smiling mysteriously. 'So, is it true then? Were you really caught together with Draco Malfoy in the middle of the night in front of the astronomy tower?' asked Ginny, an amused grin on her freckled, pretty face.

'Well… yeah,' Luca replied hesitantly. She didn't want anyone, especially her friends, to draw any quick conclusions about what happened last night. 'But it's not what it sounds like. I was just up there by myself and then he came up and… we talked… and then, when we got down, Professor McGonagall caught us after Peeves had yelled it through the whole bloody castle.'

Ginny and Luna seemed unsatisfied with this explanation. 'So, what were you and Malfoy talking about? I mean, he's an offensive slimy git, isn't he?' Ginny said carelessly, while sipping from her pumpkin juice. Luca felt a stab of annoyance at this description of Malfoy, but could hardly argue against it, for Malfoy had indeed always been very rude to Ginny.

'Nothing important. I think he might be… struggling with something. I haven't been feeling very good myself lately so I guess we both just wanted to get some fresh air.' Luna looked at her with her dreamy eyes and said, without a hint of sarcasm: 'maybe he's suffering from ragsrawth disease. He looks very pale lately. You see, ragsrawth are tiny lice that nestle in your hair and other body hair and drain the color from your skin.'

Ginny snorted into her pumpkin juice and Luca grinned despite herself. Luna always had the craziest ideas and they never failed to put a smile on her face. She had met Luna in a most peculiar way. She was supposed to serve detention when Professor Trelawney, who had apparently had a little too much sherry that day, had called Luna to her office instead of Luca. Their first names being so much alike, the mistake could be easily forgiven, had Professor Trelawney not insisted on having them both in detention after Luca showed up after Luna.

Fortunately, Luna seemed to really like Professor Trelawney and didn't mind being held after school hours for an offense she didn't commit. After one hour of dusting crystal balls, and another hour of listening to Professor Trelawney's predictions of imminent death, Luca and Luna had walked back to the Great Hall together. Luca found the blonde, dreamy Ravenclaw girl a bit strange, but in likeable, good way. They had been friends ever since, soon to be joined by Ginny who Luca knew from the Quidditch team. Ginny and Luca both played chaser in the Gryffindor Quidditch team and had instantly gotten along. This year however, due to the burden Luca was now carrying with her, she had quit the team. She and Ginny still remained friends, and for that Luca was very grateful.

'I think he's just under a lot of stress,' Luca said to Luna, who was scooping some blueberries in her bowl of oatmeal. Ginny snorted loudly but didn't say anything to contradict what had been said.

Luca noticed that a couple of Slytherin students were staring at her from the other side of the hall, whispering with their heads huddled close together, occasionally pointing at her. She wondered if it had something to do with her and Malfoy getting caught out of bed together. It didn't remain a mystery for long, due to Pansy Parkinson's lack of tact and discretion.

'Hey Starling! Is it true? They're saying you were caught out of bed at night, a long way from your common room.' Pansy and her usual group of Slytherin friends approached Luca, Ginny and Luna in the hall. Luca, who didn't feel like explaining herself to someone like Pansy Parkinson, sighed and gave her an impatient look.

'So what if that's true? Shouldn't you be out right now insulting muggle-borns or something?' Pansy's pug-like face contorted slightly but her smirk remained unchanged. 'You certainly have a big mouth Starling. Tell me, I've heard that you were together with Draco last night. Now that seems highly unlikely to me.' Luca could immediately tell that this was what she really wanted to know. Whether Luca had really been outside of bed, in the dead of night, in the company of Draco Malfoy.

'Why don't you ask Malfoy yourself? I thought you two were such good _buddies_.' Luca's irritation clearly showed, but she felt backed by Ginny in this attitude, who eyed Pansy with an expression of intense loathing.

Pansy's smirk faltered for a moment and she turned a slight pink color. Luca could tell that she'd hit a sore spot. 'Draco wasn't at breakfast. Did you see him at the table huh? Or perhaps you knew he would be absent… maybe you did something to him last night. You hexed him, didn't you?!' Pansy's voice had become shrill and higher than usual while she got worked up over the idea of Luca cleverly cursing Malfoy behind her back.

Before Luca could respond to this preposterous idea however, Ginny stepped in. 'Don't be ridiculous Parkinson. Why would any of us want to curse Malfoy? He's not worth the trouble.' With those words, Ginny's looked fiercely around as if to dare any of the other girls to speak up. When nobody did, she pulled Luca's sleeve and said: 'let's get out of here. These people are mental.'

Luca followed her friends out of the hall to the courtyard, where a group of Hogwarts students stood excitedly talking to each other, waiting to pass by Filch and his probity probe in order to visit Hogsmeade.

It was a beautiful Saturday; the heavy layer of snow covering the school grounds glittered and sparkled like tiny crystals in the bright sunlight. Ginny, Luca and Luna decided upon paying Hogsmeade a visit and Luca was relieved to see that Ginny wasn't bringing her boyfriend, Dean Thomas. Not that she disliked Dean but he was certain to occupy Ginny's attention whenever he was around, leaving Luca to deal with Luna's wildly imaginative stories by herself.

When they arrived in Hogsmeade, the first thing they did was visit Honeydukes. Luca wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings, as they stepped into the brightly lit store. She was deeply immersed in her thoughts, which were once again filled with Draco Malfoy. She wondered why he hadn't turned up at breakfast. He also seemed to keep his distance more from his fellow Slytherins. Luca pretty much loathed Pansy Parkinson so she could hardly say that this was bothering her, but if Pansy started asking her questions about Malfoy, it might just become an annoying issue.

After Ginny and Luna had loaded their pockets with sugar quills and cauldron cakes, they left the candy store in need of a hot drink. Within 5 minutes they had settled themselves down in the Three Broomsticks with 3 butterbeers, while a fire was crackling friendly nearby.

'Luca!' Ginny's face came more clearly into focus with the shout of her name. Apparently, she had been staring into the flames for a while before either of her friends had gotten her to respond. 'You seem really pre-occupied today. This doesn't have anything to do with your midnight stroll from yesterday has it?' Ginny asked.

She sounded worried and a little curious at the same time. 'Oh, no. I'm just a little tired, that's all.' Luca didn't like lying to her friends but there was no way she could explain what was keeping her busy. It felt as if she was now keeping two secrets, instead of one; one that was her own and one that Malfoy was carrying around, even though she didn't know what it was.

After that, the subject was dropped and Ginny spotted Dean sitting at the bar with Seamus and Neville. 'I'd better go and say hi', she said and hastened to her boyfriend. Luca and Luna sat there for some time, while Luna talked about Nargles and fishing for fresh water plimpies, until Ginny came back. She and Dean were ready to go back to Hogwarts but Luca had spotted Katie Bell, whom she had befriended during her time in the Quidditch team.

'You guys go ahead, I'm just going to go over to Katie for a bit', she said to Ginny, Luna and Dean. 'I can wait for you', Luna offered kindly. Luca shook her head, managing, what she hoped was, a reassuring smile. 'Go on without me, I'll catch up with you later.'

With that, the three of them left. As the door swung open, an icy, cold wind blasted through the door and Luca quickly rose from her table by the window to find Katie. Her eyes scanned the pub but she was nowhere in sight. Maybe she had gone to the bathroom, Luca thought, and waited.

A short while later, Katie emerged from what indeed was the door of the girls-restroom. Luca started moving towards her but to her utmost surprise, Katie walked straight past her and then out the door.

Had she not seen Luca standing there? Quickly she yanked her cloak of a chair and threw it on before following Katie into the snowy streets of Hogsmeade. 'Katie!' Luca called out for her as she caught up with the Gryffindor girl, who seemed to be clutching a rectangular package. Her eyes were a bit hazy, as if she had a bit too much to drink. When Luca started walking next to her, she gave a her a quick look, but didn't adjust her pace.

'Hey, I was just wondering how everything's going. Are you alright?' Luca asked uncertainly. Katie did not answer. Instead, she quickened her pace so that Luca almost had to run to catch up with her. 'Katie? I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?' Luca now started to feel serious concern over her fellow Gryffindor's behavior.

'What's your rush? Are you going somewhere?' At this question, Katie turned her head and looked at her with the same unfocused eyes. 'I need to deliver this to Dumbledore.' Luca did not immediately understand what she meant, but then her eyes fell again upon the flat package Katie was clutching.

'That box?' she asked incredulously. 'What's in it? Why do you need to give it to Dumbledore?'  
Katie just kept walking in the same merciless quick pace, ignoring her questions while Luca had more and more trouble keeping up with her. Then, a thought occurred to her. She had not seen Katie holding the suspicious package before she went to the bathroom. She must have gotten it while she was in there.

'Katie….', Luca's voice was filled with caution this time. 'Did someone give you this parcel?' Katie looked at her with unfocused eyes. 'I need to bring this to Dumbledore. It is very important.'

Luca quickened her step just a little and then jumped in front of Katie, blocking her path. 'I am sure that is not yours Katie. Why is it so important that Dumbledore shall have this?' Katie tried to wrestle her way around Luca. 'Out of the way! I need to get to Dumbledore!' Luca was thrown off by this, and before she knew what had happened, the package tore and Katie rose in the air, her eyes wide, her arms and feet dangling in the wind like that of a puppet. A terrible scream pierced the snowy sky.

Within a few seconds, three other familiar faces appeared. It was Harry, Ron and Hermione, also in Luca's class. They must have been walking behind Katie and Luca, for they had caught up so quickly. Luca saw what was in the package now. It lay there, glittering ominously in the snow. An emerald green necklace, with a silver chain and triangular, glimmering beads.

After that, everything became a blur to Luca. Hagrid showed up, carrying Katie back to the hospital wing. Harry and the others took the cursed necklace to Professor McGonagall, while Luca hurried after them, reciting her story to her Head of House and then again to the headmaster. When Luca finally made it back into the Gryffindor common room, she felt drained, exhausted.  
She would tell Ginny and Luna about this in the morning. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she fell into an uneasy sleep.


	5. Tears in the Bathroom

Tears in the Bathroom

During the following days, the attack on Katie Bell was all everyone could talk about at Hogwarts. Many people kept coming up to Luca to ask for more details and she quickly grew weary of telling the same thing over and over again.

Not only was it simply tiring to get asked the same questions by different people, Luca also couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for trying to stop Katie. Of course, Ginny and Luna and many others had told her that what she had done, was what had been best for Katie. Had she not stopped Katie, even worse thing could have happened, told Neville her the day after the attack.

Luca knew that they were right, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that she had done something wrong, made a mistake. She vowed to herself that she would visit Katie in St. Mungo's as soon as she was able to.

Four days after the incident with the necklace, Luca was sitting alone in the Great Hall eating lunch. Just when she got up to leave, Harry Potter walked up to her, a serious expression on his face. 'Hey Luca, I'm sorry to bother you but I need to talk to you.' Luca frowned slightly. 'Is this about Katie?' she asked, trying not to sound impolite or impatient. 'Well… sort of yes.' Harry looked around suspiciously, as if he was afraid someone might overhear them.

'You see, I've been following Malfoy for a while now and I'm sure that he is up to something. Something bad.' Luca felt a knot grow in her stomach at those last words. How could he be so sure? 'Why are you telling me this? You think he had something to do with Katie's attack?' Luca asked, trying not to sound too alarmed.

Harry looked nervously around again. 'I can't prove it, but I have strong suspicions. I heard you're sort of close with Malfoy. That's why I wanted to warn you. I'm serious, I think he is really dangerous.'

Luca felt the knot in her stomach grow tighter. 'Dangerous?' she repeated. It came out a lot angrier that she had anticipated. 'What prove do you have for this Harry? I'm sorry but I refuse to believe he was out to kill an innocent student. He might be arrogant and rude but murder…', she let her voice trail off. Harry frowned. His eyes focused on something behind Luca. Luca turned around to see what he was staring at and met the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy was standing a few feet away from them, in the opening of the door, a tortured look upon his pale, handsome face. His eyes were sunken, his cheekbones more pronounced now that he seemed to have lost more weight. For a moment, he just stood there, staring back into Luca's eyes with that wretched expression on his face.

Then, he turned around abruptly and started walking away from Luca and Harry. Luca's legs obeyed before her mind had. They were running after Malfoy, trying desperately to catch up with him. She needed to talk to him, to know what was wrong with him. Where had he been these past days? How could it be that he looked even worse now than before? What could possibly be eating him alive like this?

Luca thought she saw him going into the corridor at the third floor and sprinted into the hall. She looked in deserted classrooms and in the dark corners Peeves liked to hide and give students a fright.  
Malfoy seemed to have disappeared. Luca slowly circled the corridor again, and then she saw the door of the boys-bathroom, half opened. She took a few steps towards it and listened. She heard the sound of running water and a faint splashing. There was definitely someone in there.  
Trying her best not to make any noise, Luca opened the bathroom door and stepped inside.

It took her a few seconds to take in what she saw. It was Malfoy, standing there with his back to her, his arms resting on a bathroom sink and his head bowed. His white blonde hair was a mess and he had pulled off his school cardigan. It lay in a bundle at his feet. His white shirt was rolled up at the sleeves and his school tie hang uneven and slanted, as if he had tried to rip it off too.

He was crying. Luca heard the sobbing sounds echoing against the tile walls. The sound of it made her heart freeze. Malfoy raised one trembling hand and wiped his eyes roughly with the back of his hand. He took long, gasping breaths and seemed unaware of Luca's presence.

Luca did not know what to do. She wanted more than anything to find out what was going on. She wanted to help him, comfort him, tell him everything was going to be okay. That she was on his side.  
But she had no idea how he would react if she saw him in this vulnerable state. He might get furious and throw a curse at her. But deep down, Luca knew that there wasn't really a choice. She was not able to walk away from Malfoy now that she had seen him like this.

'Malfoy?' Her voice was echoed through the room and it startled her slightly. With a jolt of surprise, Malfoy rounded on her, looking for the source of the sound. His eyes were wild with shock.  
Luca felt her insides twist and turn at the sight of him. He looked so defeated, so alone. His normally smug face was strewn with tears, his eyes were slightly swollen and red, and his blonde hair stuck to his forehead where he had splashed water in his face.

'What…. What are you doing here?' his voice sounded both angry and afraid. Luca decided not to move before speaking again. 'I'm sorry I followed you. I had to see you.'

Malfoy straightened his back a little and looked at her intensely, his whole body clearly ready for an attack if necessary. 'Why? Did Potter ask you to spy on me? Did he?' he spat the last words at her and Luca felt her heart ache at the obvious hostility in his voice. How could she get him to trust her?

'No. Nothing like that.' She took a few steps towards him. Malfoy didn't move. 'He thinks you're up to something dark and dangerous. I don't know what your secret is, but even if I did I wouldn't tell him.' Luca tried to keep her voice as gentle as she could. 'That's really easy for you to say now, isn't it?' Malfoy snarled at her. But she could see that his sneering tone was just a weak imitation of his usual demeanor, a feeble attempt to maintain what he thought was his dignity. 'You know nothing about me. I am capable of far worse things than Potter can imagine.' Luca felt her heart sink a little, but she didn't lose hope.

'You're right, I don't know. There's so much I don't know. But I want to help you. Whatever this is that you're doing it is eating you from the inside out. Please…', She hated how she almost pleaded the last word, but her heart took over her rational mind. She was now only one feet away from Malfoy, who was still trembling and looking very much not himself.

'Help me?' His sneering tone had gone and was replaced by a choking, hoarse voice. 'No one can help me…. There is no one!' He yelled out the last words in complete agony and frustration. 'Why are you here? Why are you doing this?' he cried out at her before Luca could respond.

Luca seized one of his trembling, cold hands in hers and held it tightly. She felt a burning sensation going through her whole body by the touch of his skin on hers. The look on Malfoy's face told her that he had felt a similar shocking feeling. 'Because when I was on top of that tower by myself, not knowing what to do, you came to me. You made me feel like I was not alone.' Her voice was now merely a whisper but loud enough for Malfoy to hear. 'I think you're a good person, who is in a bad situation. But you are not alone.' She looked into his deep grey eyes and felt her heart race as it had never done before. Draco looked momentarily stunned, dazed and confused. His mouth opened slightly, then closed again.

'You don't know what I am…', he whispered, so softly that Luca could hardly make out the words.  
Luca swallowed. 'What if I don't care.' The words escaped from her lips just like that. She had whispered them as softly as Malfoy had done. Malfoy blinked a few times, his gaze still focused on her. Then he took the last step towards her, covering that last square bathroom tile that separated their bodies and then he was there. His body so close to hers that her mind froze instantly.

The trails of the tears on Malfoy's cheeks were glittering in the bleak bathroom light. Luca could now hear Malfoy's heartbeat. It was just as fast as hers. She felt Malfoy squeeze her hand tightly and the whirling feeling of butterflies rose in Luca's stomach. It was such an intense moment, where both of them where entirely focused on the other person, that neither heard someone entering the room.

'Malfoy, Starling. What are you doing here?' In shock, Luca released Malfoy's hand and took a step back. She'd recognized the voice immediately and felt a sickness wash over her. Severus Snape was standing in the middle of the boys-lavatory, a few feet away from Luca and Malfoy. His dark eyes were narrowed and switched between Malfoy and Luca with an expression of utter disapproval.

Draco stood there, nailed to the ground and unable to move. His heart had frozen the moment the sound of Snape's voice had carried to his ears. He couldn't think of a situation where Snape's presence was more unwanted. Not only did he look a blubbering mess, he had walked in on what had to be the most intimate moment in Draco's memory. When his eyes met Snape's, he felt a burning desire to strangle him, to shoot a curse at him; anything to make the black-haired man disappear from his sight.

'You, come with me.' Snape strode towards Draco and grabbed him by his upper right arm. 'In my office, _now_.' Snape's tone was dripping with distaste and Draco didn't feel like arguing with him. He did however, flung his arm loose from Snape's grip as he proceeded towards the bathroom exit. He dared not to look back at Luca. 'I'll deal with you later,' he heard Snape sneer at her, before he whirled past Draco and started walking to his office chamber.

Five minutes later, Draco stood in Snape's cramped and semi-dark office. His heart was still hammering in his throat. Afraid that Snape would notice, he tried to wipe his sweaty palms on the back of his cloak. Snape didn't gesture him to sit down. Instead, he closed the door with a light sweep of his wand and kept standing there, a few feet away from Draco.

'What were you _thinking_?' Snape paused after every word and emphasized the last one with so much force that it temporarily rendered Draco silent. Snape, who apparently expected an immediate answer, bellowed: 'WELL?!' While Draco tried to formulate an answer, something essential occurred to him. Why was Snape so angry? What exactly had he done that had made the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher so furious?

He squared his shoulders and gave Snape the most annoyed look he could muster. 'What do you mean, Sir? I was having a wee, what else?' In a split second, Snape had seized Draco by the front of his robes and clutched them tightly. 'Don't lie to me. I made an unbreakable vow. Do you realize what happens if you spill your secret? What happens if you decide to confide in that girl you were just with in the bathroom?' Draco splutter incoherently. He had not expected this reaction at all.  
'I… of course I wasn't…', he mumbled as Snape released his robes.

'You don't fool me Draco. Believe it or not, I was your age once too. I recognize that look in your eyes. Let me tell you right now: it is very unwise to get any further involved with her. I don't know what she has promised you but it is unlikely she ever meant a word of it.'

Draco detected a bitterness in Snape's voice that he had never heard before. Anger rose inside of him. What did Snape mean? Luca had been more supportive of him than anyone in- or outside these castle walls. Not that that was any of Snape's business of course. He'd rather die before admitting his true feelings for Luca to Snape.

When Draco didn't reply, Snape responded to his stubborn silence by giving him an impatient look. 'The two of you couldn't be more different, trust me. She may seem supportive now, now that you are in desperate need for a friend. But as soon as some dashing Gryffindor boy appears she will drop you like a stone. Then you will have risked the mission only to be left with a broken heart. Do you understand me Draco?' Snape's voice was still bitter but had become more urging towards the end.

Draco didn't want to hear it. The thought of Luca's company was the one thing that had kept him going all these weeks. The one thing that had made him feel better. Now Snape was determined to crush his hopes, to tell him this was all an illusion. A picture formed in his mind, that of Luca returning to the Gryffindor common room and walking over to Harry Potter. A devilish smile on her pretty face, as she was telling her fellow Gryffindors how she had found Draco Malfoy crying in the bathroom. The others laughed in wild amusement and she joined in, throwing her hazel brown hair back while her sky-blue eyes glittered with malice.

It took all he had to drive the picture out of his mind. She wasn't like that, he told himself. Luca had said to him those words that had caused his heart to stop momentarily: ' _what if I don't care…'_

'I understand. _Professor_.' Draco tried to squeeze as much contempt and loathing into that last word as possible. Snape frowned deeply. He didn't seem convinced but it looked like he was out of arguments to throw at Draco, so he sat down behind his desk and waved his hand dismissively. 'Alright. You may go now. And keep me updated on your progress.' Without another word, Draco left Snape's office, feeling shaken and confused.

All of the temporary excitement he had felt when Luca had pleaded to him to let her help was gone. He felt empty, robbed of all his hope and redemption. With the awful feeling that nothing really mattered anymore, he found his way back to the Slytherin common room. He went to bed early, pretending to sleep so he would not be disturbed by any of his classmates. In reality, he lay awake for many hours. In his mind, Luca's and Snape's voices echoed continuously.

' _I think you're a good person, who is in a bad situation. But you are not alone.'_

' _She may seem supportive now, now that you are in desperate need for a friend. But as soon as some dashing Gryffindor boy appears, she will drop you like a stone.'_

Draco tried to shut them out, twisting and turning in his bed. It was no use. He saw the sun rising again and had just fallen asleep when he was awoken by the sound of stumbling noises from downstairs. He might have had one or two hours of sleep at the most. He walked to his classes, feeling like a living ghost.


	6. Amortentia

Amortentia

The day crept by painfully slow. Draco didn't see Luca, as they didn't have any classes together. On the one hand, he wanted to see her more than anything and demand the truth out of her. Was she really on his side? Had she meant every word she said in the bathroom yesterday? On the other hand, he had no idea what answered questions would take his fears away. He felt he couldn't ask her about loyalty without revealing his feelings for her. And confessing was, like some many other things at the moment, something he was in no state to do.

A few more days went by in which nothing could be done to improve Draco's mood. His close companions, Crabbe and Goyle, regularly suffered the consequences of his rising temper and were soon on non-speaking terms with him. Not that this mattered much to Draco. The two large boys were not exactly eloquent conversational partners anyway.

Thursday came and with it, potions class. Luca was waiting for him at a table in the corner. For a moment, Draco was surprised to see her. Then he remembered that she had been appointed his partner in class and he felt an uneasy feeling flooding his stomach. Luca looked a little nervous to see him too. The last time they had seen each other, Draco's face had been stained with tears and their bodies had been so close together that Draco's nose had almost touched Luca's.

'Hey.' She gave him an encouraging little smile and he felt a jolt of happiness pass through him. It was so good to see her again. He forgot all about Snape's snide comments as he greeted her back, attempting a casual and cool demeanor. As they both unpacked their bags, Draco couldn't help but glance looks at Luca from the corner of his eyes. He noticed that she wore her hair a little different than usual. A few locks of her hazel brown hair were twisted into small braids and pinned in a neat circle around her head. It looked like she was wearing a fairy-like crown, Draco thought, a smile surfacing on his face again. It suited her.

Slughorn started handing out instructions. They were to brew a love potion called Amortentia. Many of the girls started giggling and giving out squeaks of delight. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil looked so excited by the prospect, that they bombarded Slughorn with so many questions that he had to shake them off to help other students. Draco was relieved to see that Luca was not swooning or giggling like the others, but simply started slicing the ingredients for the potion.

'Ah, I see you're well on your way miss Starling.' An enthusiastic Slughorn appeared so suddenly at Luca's side that she jumped a little. 'Yes, thank you Professor,' she said, trying to hide the startled look on her face. Slughorn now turned to Draco. 'I hope you're not letting miss Starling here do all the work for you. It would be such a waste, my boy. Do try and learn from each other.' Draco nodded curtly and took a step closer to Luca. Apparently Slughorn wasn't going to leave until Draco proved to him that he was doing more than turning oxygen into carbon dioxide, so he peered at the page with instructions.

'Ehm… we need a handful of canondrin roots.' He looked for support to Luca, who smiled cheekily. 'Yes. I put them in some ten minutes ago.' Draco swallowed and scanned the page again. 'Now here is where you can help out, my boy,' said Slughorn whilst pointing at the middle of the page. 'A personal token taken from the person that the potion maker desires the most,' Draco read aloud. He felt his face burn and hoped he wasn't turning red on the spot. 'So, is there no one you have given your heart to, Mister Malfoy? Miss Parkinson perhaps?' Slughorn suggested.

Draco didn't dare to look at Luca. 'No,' he mumbled, trying to sound irritated rather than embarrassed. 'Well no matter. As long as the potion maker takes something from someone he or she has some connection to, the potion will work reasonably well. It will of course never turn out as powerful as the real thing, but still…' Slughorn looked expectantly at Luca. 'So how about you give Mister Malfoy something of yours that can be easily replaced.'

Luca's eyes met Draco's for the first time and to his surprise, her cheeks reddened slightly. 'Alright,' she told Professor Slughorn. Draco saw her eyes glide over her own body for something to put into the cauldron, and he averted his eyes quickly. He was glad she couldn't read his mind, for had she done it at that moment, he was sure she wouldn't have been happy with his thoughts.

Luca's fingers fondled with a few strands of hair, then pressed something small and pointy into Draco's hand. It was one of the silver hairpins she had used to secure her braids. 'Excellent.' Draco had a feeling that other people were starting to look in their direction, as Slughorn was certainly lingering longer at their table than any other. 'Go ahead then. Just toss it in.' Draco let the hairpin slip from his fingers into the steaming cauldron. For a moment, the substance inside bubbled violently. Then the surface became smooth again and the potion turned a baby pink color.

Slughorn's eyes widened. He gave the potion one glance and then shouted with delight. 'Merlin's beard! It's perfect!' Draco felt a dozen eyes upon him and wished he could vanish on the spot. Luca looked as surprised as Slughorn. An expression of shock and unbelieve had surfaced on her face. Slughorn patted Draco heartily on the back. 'Well done my boy! Well done!'

Draco nodded faintly, bracing himself for what might come next. 'Then if I conclude correctly, there might be some love in the air after all?' Slughorn turned from Draco to Luca and gave them a friendly wink. Then he walked over to Ernie Macmillan, who had managed to melt part of his cauldron, which resulted in part of the dungeon floor being covered in a sticky, tarry, black substance.

Draco and Luca didn't speak until the end of class, both working in silence and ignoring each other's company as much as possible. When the bell rang, they were both so keen on getting out of the dungeon that they were the first ones on top of the stairs while the other students were still packing their bags. Luca looked like she wanted to say something but was lost for words, much like himself.

Desperate for any topic that might lead to a normal conversation, Draco said: 'So, have you decided to go to Slughorn's Christmas party? I heard most of his parties are really boring actually.' He tried to sound casual. The last thing he wanted was for Luca to think he was fishing for an invitation to be her date. Nonetheless, he would have happily gone with her to any party, no matter how boring or stupid the festivities in question may appear.

Luca twirled a lock of hair around her index finger. 'Yeah. I didn't want to go at first but then I figured, why not. I never go to any parties, it might be fun. I ran into Neville and he told me he wasn't invited, even though he was originally in the Slug Club. So, well, I decided to invite him to go with me.' She said all of this in a very neutral, matter of factly tone. Draco felt his insides twist and turn. She was going with Neville Longbottom? That idiot who needed a glass ball to help him remember that he had to tie his shoe laces? Apparently, his face showed his disdain because Luca frowned at him.

'What's the matter?' Draco shrugged, trying to shake off the nasty feeling of betrayal. Maybe Snape had been right. She was going to go off with some Gryffindor boy who mirrored all of her morals and beliefs. He had to admit that Neville Longbottom was far from "dashing", as Snape had put it, but he pushed that thought away. What had he expected anyway? That she was going to take him? Hadn't he told her off on his own accord, telling her that she wasn't up to his standards?

'I just never thought you'd take someone like Longbottom.' Luca's frown deepened. 'And why is that _Malfoy_?' her voice had become a bit shrill and her blue eyes flashed dangerously. Draco didn't like the way she said his last name at all _._ He turned around, regretting ever bringing up the subject. 'Never mind.' He started to move forwards but found his path blocked by the Gryffindor girl. 'No, tell me. Is Longbottom not up to your standards too?' persisted Luca, her voice now heavy with sarcasm.

Draco saw other students coming through the dungeon doors and stopping to watch him and Luca. 'Not here.' Before he could help himself, he took hold of Luca's arm and dragged her a few feet towards an empty corridor. When they reached it, Luca flung her arm from his grip so violently that Draco almost tripped and banged into a wall.

'Who do you think you are Draco Malfoy?!' Luca's eyes spat fire. 'Don't you ever do that again. Do you hear me?!' For a moment Draco thought he saw that savage, inhuman expression on her face again; the one he had seen on top of the Astronomy Tower the night they had been caught by Professor McGonagall. He had never seen Luca angry. 'Well I'm sorry but I'm going to do whatever the bloody hell I want,' he snapped back at her. Now that he was actually alone with her, he had no idea what to say to her. Luca crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, still looking furious.

'Why do you feel the need to talk to me like that? Haven't I told you that I wanted to help you? Why isn't that enough for you?' Luca spoke softer now but there was obvious anger in her voice. 'Haven't I shared my burden with you? Why can't you trust me? I am so done with this…'

She started turning around, but Draco quickly grabbed her wrist and held it, gently this time. 'I am sorry.' His voice was hoarse and not nearly as stable as he wanted it to be, but at least it didn't reveal his raging nerves.

'I know it sounds stupid, but Snape… he sort of warned me about you.' Luca's eyes widened. 'What?!'. 'He _warned_ you about me?' She said it so softly that her voice was reduced to a dangerous whisper. She seemed to have temporarily forgotten her anger towards Draco.

Draco had no idea what had sparked this violent reaction in Luca and he instantly regretted saying anything on the matter. He had the unpleasant feeling that if the situation escalated more, it would soon be out of his control.

'So he told you my secret? You know?' Luca's blue eyes pierced his and Draco felt even more confused. 'No, nothing like that.' Luca looked at him with astonishment written all over her face. 'What did he say then?'

Draco felt color rush to his face. 'He said… something about Gryffindors and Slytherins and how they don't belong together.' This wasn't entirely true but Draco didn't feel like quoting Snape directly in front of Luca. Snape had said some things that would certainly anger Luca further, not to mention that it would sound a lot more like a confession.

'What?' Luca exclaimed again sounding quite thrown off. A short silence fell between the two of them. It was broken when Draco saw something that resembled a look of dawning comprehension on Luca's face. 'I think I know why he said that.' She gave Draco a look, then seized his arm and pulled him into a narrow passage in the wall. She squeezed herself in after him. The passage was so narrow and small, that the two of them only just fit in there. Draco's arm was twisted uncomfortably behind his back and Luca's long hair tickled his neck, as she turned to face him.

'We can't be overheard.' Her anger towards him had completely faded now that she was in control of the situation again. 'You cannot tell anyone you know this. This isn't exactly popular gossip, so if you let this slip, Snape is likely to trace it back to me and he will be far from pleased.' She said all of this in a single breath, as if she wanted to get to the story as fast as possible. Draco nodded, but in the semi-darkness it was hard to tell if Luca had seen it. 'I won't tell', he added hastily.

Luca chewed nervously on her lower lip. 'Alright.' She took a deep breath and started speaking. 'When Snape was just a child, he met Harry Potter's mom, Lily Evans. They became very close and by the time they were both accepted into Hogwarts, they had become best friends. One slight problem occurred however: Snape, as you know, was sorted into Slytherin.' She stopped for a moment and looked at Draco with glittering eyes. 'And I guess I don't need to tell you what house Lily Evans was sorted into?' Draco began to see what direction this tale was going in.

'Gryffindor.' Luca nodded. 'Yes. They maintained their friendship over the years, but it became harder and harder to do so. Snape became friends with people who are now known as … Death Eaters.' Even in the semi-darkness, Draco could see Luca avert her eyes from him. He knew that she was thinking of his father and felt a sting of shame and defiance in the pit of his stomach. 'Lily Evans was a muggle-born and couldn't stand Snape's new crowd. On one occasion, it is said that Snape called her a….' Draco could hear her swallow and felt his heart sink. He instantly knew the word she was struggling to get out. 'Mudblood,' he filled in. Luca gave him a cold look, but nodded stiffly.

'Yes. Well, after that Lily had enough. She turned her back on Snape and fell in love with James Potter, a fellow Gryffindor and a popular boy who was seeker on the Quidditch Team. James and his best friends Sirius Black were also said to taunt and pester Snape regularly. You can imagine that this didn't bide well with Snape. He had always been an outcast, friendless and from a poor home. Then after all the time they spent together, the one person who made him feel loved chose someone else over him. Someone he must have despised. It must've hurt terribly.'

Draco could hear the pity in her voice as Luca spoke those last words. Even though her face was concealed in the shadows, he could see that Snape's lost love did not leave her cold. Draco understood now why Snape reacted the way he did. It all made sense now. Only one question remained. 'How do you know all this?' Draco asked quietly.

Luca considered the question for a moment, seemingly uncertain whether to answer. After another moment of silence, she sighed deeply and said: 'my mother was a close friend of Lily Evans when she was at Hogwarts. She told me this, in the hope it would keep me away from certain boys I suppose.' She smiled faintly at him. Draco felt his face burn. Boys like him? Did she mean Slytherins? Death Eaters? His stomach turned over at this last thought. She couldn't possible know…

Draco stared at her. His brain was working hard, trying to organize all this new information. 'Your mother was friends with Potter's mom?' He couldn't imagine a world in which both the Potters and his father came around the same house for tea or a visit. To his surprise, Luca's features became stiff and she stared at her feet with an intensity Draco had never seen before.

'Yes. But that was a long time ago.' Draco's arm was now pulsing painfully, still pressed behind his back. He tried moving it but it was no use. 'I don't understand.' His frustration with the situation must've been obvious because when Luca looked up, her sharp tongue stabbed him like a knife.

'Of course you don't understand. Do you know why that is? It is because you ask all the wrong questions Draco Malfoy. I thought you were different from your wretched father. But no… you're only interested in what you think is important, what you've been taught that is important.'

For a moment, Draco just looked at her in bewilderment. This was not what he had expected at all. Then something slowly started to dawn on him. It felt as if a heavy fog suddenly cleared inside his head. He felt as if certain answers to the mystery around Luca had been staring him in the face for quite some time. 'Luca… what happened to your mother?'


	7. Emerald and Gold

Emerald and Gold

He had used her first name, which he thought to be more intimate. It felt right, but also a little frightening. Luca pressed her lips together and her gaze darted aimlessly around in the dark. Her hands fumbled nervously with the sleeve of her robes. Several long minutes passed before she spoke again. When she did, she looked him straight in the eyes, grief etched all over her beautiful face. 'She's gone.' Draco's heart was racing, but he tried to collect his thoughts and ask the next, unavoidable question. 'Did my father have anything to do with her death?' He noticed that Luca's hands were trembling slightly as she lowered her head again. Draco didn't know if he could stand to hear the answer.

'No.' Luca's voice was merely a whisper, but he heard it more clearly than any other sound from the adjoining corridor. 'It was _him._ ' She lifted her head and Draco could see tears in her eyes now. He didn't have to ask who she meant. There was only one person she could be referring to.

Draco placed on hand on her shoulder, unable to move, unable to stand himself. He wished he could evaporate, sink into the ground, just vanish from sight. Anything but this. He needed to comfort her. He wanted to. But he was branded and marked, bound to the man that had murdered her mother. There was some great irony here, that it was he who was standing in front of this girl, thinking of a way to console her.

He had so many other questions for her but now was not the time. If he had understood the pretext to Luca's story correctly, he had been half sure that her mother had somehow been harmed by his father. Both were surely from rival houses, just as him and Luca. His father might've had nothing to do with her mother's death but he knew that there was more to the story. Right now, however, he needed to show Luca that he cared, because he really did. The image of Voldemort laughing his cold, high pitched laugh while bending over the limp body of a woman with hazel brown hair and sky blue eyes passed before his eyes. He tried pushing it away as hard as he could.

'I am so sorry Luca.' Draco pulled his arm from his back with difficulty and wrapped it around her. She let him embrace her, their hearts beating rapidly. 'I'm sorry about your mother and I'm sorry… sorry that I'm not the guy you deserve.' Luca looked up at him and smiled sadly. 'What makes you say that?' She was so close to him that he could see the tears glittering in the corners of her eyes. Luca's scent of jasmine perfume and soap made him lightheaded.

'You know how I am…. I have done things that would disgust you.' He felt his heart beating faster than ever as he spoke the words he had kept in for so long. Every bone in his body screamed for him to stop talking. The last thing he wanted was to lose Luca, for her to look at him with the same disdainful looks other Gryffindors shot at him. But he had to tell her. He needed to be honest with her, how painful it may be. She needed to know what she was getting into. It was a mystery to him why she had taken a liking to him in the first place.

Draco waited for Luca to frown, to ask questions or even step away from him and draw her wand. Nothing of the sort happened. Instead, to his complete surprise, she smiled. A few tears spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. 'I wish you would stop saying that Draco.'  
Draco felt his heart leap the moment she said his first name. Luca's long eyelashes were clamped together with heavy teardrops and she looked more beautiful than ever, her face illuminated by the sole light of a lantern on the wall next to her. 'I can't stay away from you.' Her voice trembled slightly and Draco felt his heart going into overdrive, the beating draining any sounds from their surroundings.

'I don't want you to.' Draco's voice was hoarse and completely stripped from its usual demeanor. Luca closed her eyes for a second and two more tears rolled down her cheeks. Before Draco could think it through, before he had time to feel scared or anxious, he placed his hand at the back of her neck and kissed her.

Draco felt a jolt of surprise pass through Luca's body, then she kissed him back with unexpected passion. Draco's heart was going to burst with happiness. Every nerve in his body tingled and yearned for more; the touch of her hair, her hands on his bare skin. He tasted the salty tears on Luca's soft lips and he realized a few more tears had escaped her. This time, he was sure they were of joy, or just a release of built up emotions. He never wanted to let go of her. Luca's slender fingers ran through his hair and then slid down his neck. Her every touch gave him tiny electric shocks all over his body.

Draco stroked her long hair, feeling intensely happy. Nothing seemed to matter but him and Luca. She felt the same as he did, he knew that know. She wanted to be with him, and no one, not even Snape, could tell him otherwise.

The sound of footsteps nearby brought Draco back to reality. He let go of Luca and looked around for the source of the sound. Luca's hands, still gently resting around his neck, now cupped his face.  
'Draco… ', her voice was now a little hoarse too. The tears had dried, leaving silvery trails on her cheeks that glowed in the lantern light. Draco smiled at her. His heart felt as if it was soaked in the sight of her, beaming at him. 'Luca', he said, allowing the name to fill him up completely and reveling in the fact that he could now call her by her first name.

At that moment, the silhouette of Professor McGonagall appeared in front of the passage. 'Who is in there? Step out at once.' She cast her lighted wand into the darkness and spotted Draco and Luca, both squinting against the sudden streams of light. 'Malfoy? And miss Starling?' McGonagall looked quite astonished at the sight of the pair of them, closely huddled together in the narrow pass way. Draco saw Luca glance at him and realized that his hair must still be messed up from when Luca had ran her fingers through it when they were kissing. He had trouble suppressing a smirk.

He and Luca squeezed themselves out of the passage and stepped into the corridor. McGonagall looked inquiringly from Draco to Luca. 'This is the second time I catch you two somewhere you are not supposed to be. Don't let this become a regular matter.' She looked sternly at Luca. 'You should go back to the common room miss Starling. I know for a fact that you haven't finished that essay on underwater transfigurations.' Then she turned towards Draco. 'And as for you mister Malfoy….', her gaze lingered on his disheveled hair for a moment ,'you are not in my house but Professor Snape tells me that you are far behind on your homework so I suggest you do the same.'

She made to turn around but stopped half way and said: 'Oh, and do something about that hair Malfoy,' a hint of amusement in her strict voice. Then she disappeared into the teacher's lounge, her tartan cloak flapping.

Draco half heartily ran a hand through his silky hair. He found it hard to look at Luca in the bright light of the corridor. His heart was still beating fast. He tried to calm himself down. Why couldn't he look at her? In the corner of his eyes he saw Luca straightening her robes. She was also avoiding his gaze, he knew it.

After a few uncomfortable minutes, Luca's velvety voice broke the silence. 'We should go back to our common rooms. Just in case she checks.' Draco made a sound of approval and they started walking. The Slytherin common room wasn't far since they were already near the dungeons. Just when Draco had scraped up the courage to say something to Luca, two girls appeared at their right. It was Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. They greeted Luca with much enthusiasm, then spotted him and fell silent.

'What are you doing here Malfoy? Shouldn't you be in the dungeons with the rest of your slithery friends?' said Ginny in a mocking voice. Before he could answer however, Luca opened her mouth. 'We were just talking. C'mon, let's go.' She turned around one last time and looked at him with a gentle smile on her face. 'See you later Draco.'

Draco nodded, unable to speak for a moment. She had called him Draco in front of her friends, surely that meant something. He wondered how much she would tell her friends of what had just happened in the dark pass way. He felt his stomach contract in a pleasurable way when he thought back to the kiss they had shared. After she recovered from the initial shock, Luca had kissed him back so fiercely that his face grew hot every time he thought back to it.


	8. The Patronus

The Patronus

The moment the three of them were alone, Ginny and Luna came to a halt and stared at Luca with expectant gazes. 'What's wrong?' said Luca, attempting to sound casual but failing instantly. Ginny raised one eyebrow. 'Oh, get off it Luca! We know something happened between you and Malfoy. You both looked so guilty walking out that corridor together. You should have heard you: _see you later Draco,'_ imitated Ginny with a grin on her face. Luca felt her stomach twist and she knew that she must be blushing. Luna observed her with a mildly curious gaze in her dreamy eyes.

'Did you kiss him?' she asked without a hint of embarrassment. Ginny's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. 'No way! Did you?' Luca, who knew that it was no use lying to her friends, stared resolutely at her feet when she spoke. 'He kissed me.' She heard both girls make noises of surprise and looked away with an agitated look. 'Malfoy _kissed_ you?' Ginny repeated, seemingly too shocked to notice that by-passers started to look at them.

'Keep your voice down', Luca said hastily and the three of them walked out into the school grounds. Luca looked around and only when she was sure that there was no one around did she allow her friends to ask her questions. Ginny was still staring at her with a mix of shock and repulsion and Luna looked as serene as always. 'Why?!' Ginny exclaimed, the moment Luca signaled that the coast was clear. Luca frowned at her friend. This was a question she had long anticipated but found hard to answer. How could she explain to her friends what it was that drew her and Draco together? She had a hard time explaining it to herself.

'He didn't like, trick you into it or anything?' Ginny added, suddenly sounding quite worried. 'No! of course not!' Luca said hastily. That was the last thing she wanted her friends to think. 'I don't really know … I mean…. look, I kind of like him,' Luca stumbled. Ginny looked at her as if she had just revealed a secret passion for mountain trolls. Luna on the other hand smiled faintly at her, while curling a lock of her long blonde hair around her index finger. 'Oh, I think you are in love with him. He is certainly in love with you. He actually looks like a nice person when he's in your presence,' she said dreamily. Ginny eyebrows continued to raise. 'You can't be serious? The two of you are in love?'

Luca shrugged. She was so confused at the moment and Ginny's horrified reaction and Luna's bluntness did nothing to sort her thought out. 'I don't know. It's just…. we get along. I know he can be a right pain in the ass but underneath all that he really is a good guy.' Ginny snorted sarcastically. Luca began to feel annoyed with Ginny. She did not have to explain her relationship with Draco to her. Didn't she date plenty of guys over the year? Had she ever criticized any of them?

'I find that very hard to believe. You know we are talking about the guy who insults me every chance he gets right? He's in Slytherin for heaven's sake!' Luca's annoyance turned into anger as she turned towards Ginny, her hands balled into fists. 'I know that. I'm only asking you not to judge me. Or Slytherin. How many people do you actually know that are in Slytherin?'

Ginny frowned slightly. Luca noticed that she had not expected this reaction at all.  
'Some of my family members were in Slytherin and they are decent people. Or do you doubt that one too?' Luca said breathlessly, as she stared at Ginny with a rage that she couldn't identify.

Ginny's face became a bit pale and she shook her head slightly. 'No, of course I believe you,' she said in a thin voice. The raging anger in Luca subsided and she suddenly felt tired and empty. 'I'm sorry Ginny,' she mumbled. 'I didn't mean to get angry. Let's just get to the common room. It's late.'  
Ginny and Luna followed her to the castle in silence.

They said goodnight to Luna, who left for the Ravenclaw tower. Ginny and Luca walked up the stairs, still not speaking to each other. Luca's brain was working fast, trying to come up with something to say to Ginny to make her understand her situation. But when they both climbed through the portrait hole and walked up to the girls-dormitory, Ginny was the one who broke the silence.

'I'm sorry too. I may have my reservations about Malfoy but you're right. I don't know him and if you say that he's really a decent person I should give him a chance.' Luca smiled at her friend. She knew that it probably cost Ginny all of her willpower to make this kind of promise. Guilt over her earlier outburst washed over her.

'Thank you, Ginny. I know this must be hard to understand. I'm not even sure I understand what is going on between the two of us but… all I know is that Draco is under a lot of pressure. It might be his parents, I don't know, but someone is making him do things against his will and he's a bleeding mess because of it. You've seen how ill he looks these days. I just wanted to help him… because …. Because I guess I saw something of him in myself.' Ginny, who had changed into her pajamas, sat down next to Luca on her four-poster bed. She watched Luca with an apprehensive expression.

'I mean… there's something big I've been keeping from you. Not just you, the whole school. Only Snape and Professor Dumbledore know about it.' Before Luca could stop herself, the whole story came spilling out of her. Ginny didn't ask questions, but waited until Luca was finished talking before she spoke again.

'Oh Luca,' she sighed, and before Luca knew it, she had thrown her arms around her friend in a tight hug. 'I understand why you kept this a secret, but I'm also very glad you told me. Now I can help you. I will always be here for you, do you understand?' Ginny looked determined and earnest. Luca smiled at her. She felt 10 pounds lighter now that Ginny knew about her secret. 'So, you don't think…. differently of me now?' Luca asked softly. Ginny placed one hand on her shoulder. 'How could you even ask me that? Of course not! I'm just so shocked to hear about all the things you've been through. I can't imagine…' her voice trailed off. Ginny stared into her lap with an agitated expression on her face.

Luca smiled faintly. 'Don't worry Ginny. I can handle it. Certainly now that I have you at my side.' She knew that Ginny could see through her brave face but she couldn't afford herself to breakdown. Not now. She didn't want to relive it all again, the constant nightmares already did that to her. Her eyes felt heavy and her joints were sore from standing in that small passage with Draco.

After she said goodnight to Ginny, she prepared herself for the usual nightmares. But this night, they didn't come. Instead, she dreamed of a pale, white blonde boy with grey eyes and a handsome smile. He touched her face lightly and whispered her name into her ear before he gently bent over her and pressed his lips onto hers. _Draco…._

Defense Against The Dark Arts was the last class of the following day and the first time Draco would see Luca again after their time together in the dark passage. He was so nervous that he couldn't focus during any of the proceeding classes, therefore receiving detention from an agitated Professor Flitwick and nearly forcing Professor Trelawney into tears as he accidentally dropped and cracked his crystal ball during Divination.

'Are you coming Draco?' Crabbe asked him, turning around in the doorway. Goyle and Pansy Parkinson were also waiting for him to join them. 'You go ahead, I need just need to take care of something first.' Crabbe and Goyle, who were now very much used to this type of behavior, shrugged and left without another word. Pansy lingered for a few seconds longer, eyeing him with an expectant look as if she wanted him to share some kind of secret with her. When Draco didn't show any signs of involving her in his plans however, she too turned around and followed Crabbe and Goyle to their classroom.

Draco lingered in the classroom as long as he could without being late. He was hoping that Luca might be late too, as she usually was, and he would have no choice but to sit next to her in class.  
When he reached the Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom, he took a deep breath and went inside. By the looks of it, Snape was almost about to start class. To his disappointment however, he saw that all the tables had been swept to the sides of the room, clearing a large open space in between.

Gryffindor and Slytherin students were standing on either side of Snape, who was standing in the middle of the classroom looking more like a giant bat than ever. Most of them were whispering excitedly and sneaking glances at Snape. Just after Draco had closed the door, it opened again and with a jolt of glee he saw that it was Luca entering the room. Her hair was tied back into a long ponytail and it looked like she had been running. Before either of them could greet each other, Snape cleared his throat and silence fell in the room. 'Malfoy, Starling, you are late.' He eyed the pair of them with a displeased look on his face. 'I thought class hadn't started yet, _Professor._ ' Draco said, a definite sneer in his voice.

Snape raised his eyebrows. 'At what time my class starts is not up to you to decide Malfoy.' Draco felt his annoyance with Snape grow. The bell hadn't rung yet so he was certain that he and Luca had just made it. He wanted to walk over to the group of Slytherins on the right side of the classroom when Snape spoke again. 'But I should have known miss Starling here would accompany you. The two of you seem to get yourselves into trouble almost as much as our beloved Mister Potter and his cronies.  
His words had its desired effect; people from both sides of the room tried to get a better look at Luca and Draco, exchanging curious whispers. Draco saw the corners of Snape's mouth curl and he felt a strong desire to walk over and punch him in the face.

'Well, we are just so happy that you are here to get us out of trouble, Professor.' Luca had spoken, a determined look on her face. Something shifted in Snape's expression and he waved dismissively. 'Both of you, join the rest of your houses in line.' He paused for a moment. 'Unless you prefer to join the Slytherins, miss Starling,' Snape added looking from Luca to Draco.

From both sides of the room people started whispering and giving the pair of them curious looks. Luca gave Snape a contemptuous look and walked over to stand next to Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, who immediately ceased their giggling and tried their best not to look at her.  
Draco slowly walked over to Crabbe and Goyle, trying hard to annoy Snape as much as possible.

'Now, as I was going to announce before we were interrupted… Today we will be practicing the Patronus charm. This is very advanced magic, but as we are in a current state of…. _war_ ,' Snape paused shortly. '… I think it is best all of you learn to defend yourselves against dementors as they have now joined the dark side.' An excited murmur rose from the crowd of students. 'Will we be practicing with real dementors Professor?' Lavender Brown asked anxiously. 'Of course not', Snape snapped irritably. 'Haven't I just told you that they are now in line with the Dark Lord? For now, just learning the incantation and practicing it in this classroom will have to do.'

They were encouraged to form pairs and stand facing each other while taking turns in practicing the Patronus charm. Draco, who had been paired up with Zabini, was lost in thought all through class. Normally, he would have thought this to be an exciting and interesting lesson, but now his mind was occupied with so many others things that learning a new charm seemed rather unimportant.

He was awoken from his reverie when a few girls started screaming with excitement. 'Look! Harry's done it! Oh wow! What a beautiful stag.' Draco turned his back to them scowling. What was the big deal? He could produce a Patronus if he set his mind to it too. It couldn't really be that difficult.  
But as the lesson progressed, all he had managed so far was to produce a shapeless silvery mist from the tip of his wand.

He turned around to sneak a look at Luca and at that exact moment, a huge silver shape shot from her wand and bared its large teeth at Lavender and Parvati who gave startled yells. Draco squinted at it. It was too large to be a dog. Before he could take a good look at it Snape appeared at Luca's side and with a wave of his wand the Patronus dissolved into thin air.

'Very good Miss Starling. A full bodied Patronus is the most difficult form to produce.' He did, however, not look pleased at all. 'Miss Patil, miss Brown, please control yourselves. If the thing that is supposed to protect you scares you this much, you will not stand a chance against an actual dementor.'

The rest of the lesson was uneventful and when the bell finally rang, Draco was glad to get out of the classroom. He couldn't wait to talk to Luca again. There were a dozen questions which he was burning to ask, but he didn't want to scare her off by firing them at her all at once. To his disappointment however, he didn't see Luca's brown hair in the mass of students spilling out of the classroom. Could it be that she was avoiding him?

He was already on his way back to the common room when he put his hand in the pocked of his robe and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. His heart leaped when he noticed the girlish, slanted handwriting. The note read only one sentence: _meet me on top of this astronomy tower after dark._

There was no question that it had come from Luca. There couldn't be a teacher that wanted to meet that late, except maybe for Snape. But Draco simply couldn't phantom why the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher would go through the trouble of delivering him a secret message, instead of his usual way of just summoning him through first-year students.

His heart racing, Draco watched the hours tick away until the castle had grown quiet and the skies had turned dark. The common room was empty now, except for Blaise, who had been reading in an armchair near the fire. At 5 to ten, he too mumbled a good night to Draco and disappeared up the stairs to the boys-dormitory. Draco had no idea how to make his way through the castle without being seen, especially with all the extra patrol and securities Dumbledore had insisted upon. He felt however, that if Luca could manage, he should at least give it his best effort.

It took Draco a good twenty minutes to get to the astronomy tower. He'd used a disillusionment charm on himself, and though it worked rather well, it didn't stop him from hiding every time one of the patrolling aurors showed up. When he reached the tower, he ran up the spiral stairs, taking it two steps at the time. Slightly out of breath, he stopped at the top to undo the charm that made him practically invisible.

When he moved around the corner, he wasn't surprised to find Luca already standing there, in the middle of the deck. She was surrounded by a thin, shimmering white mist. Draco inhaled and smelled a combination of daisies, musk, and powdered chalk. It was an enchanting scent. Before he could ask how Luca had managed such seemingly complicated spell work, she had moved forward, taking his hand and dragging him into the glittering cloud.


	9. The Mark of the Beast

The Mark of the Beast

'I wanted a little privacy', Luca whispered in a soft, purring voice that instantly gave Draco goosebumps. 'It's… it's incredible', Draco said, feeling overwhelmed. The mist around them glittered like a thousand diamonds, illuminating Luca's pale blue eyes and ivory skin. She looked like a dream, Draco thought. As if she had read his thoughts, Luca bit her lower lip and smiled, looking slightly guilty.

Then, she gently pressed her lips against his and softly kissed him. Draco's breath instantly became heavier, and his stomach convulsed with excitement. Her face lingered in front of his, so close that he felt her eyelashes flutter against his cheek. Slowly, she raised one hand and wrapped her fingers around his emerald and silver tie. Without warning, Draco felt a tug at his neck and Luca's mouth on his again. This time, she was kissing him more passionately, her left hand running through his blonde hair and her right still wrapped around his school tie.

His heart started racing even faster than before. Draco put one arm around Luca's waist, feeling his hand burn where it touched the thin fabric of her blouse. She wasn't wearing a jumper and she also seemed to have taken off her school tie already. As his breathing became irregular and heavy, so did Luca's. At first, he had been a little cautious, not sure what Luca had been expecting from him, but now he was lost into the wonderful excitement of the moment.

Luca felt a jolt pass through her when Draco turned their soft kisses into an open-mouthed kiss. A startled, high-pitched sound escaped her as she felt his tongue penetrate the inside of her mouth. She knew he had been a little hesitant, but after she had pulled him closer the second time, he seemed more sure of himself. Luca liked that he was now taking control, pushing her a little farther into the fog until her back was resting against the stone wall. His warm breath stroked her neck and made her shiver all over her body. The first time they kissed, it had been emotional and scary. Now it was electrical.

Draco's left hand cupped her face, while his right hand was still wrapped around her waist. Even though Luca was standing on the deck of a tower, late at night without a cloak or a jumper, she didn't feel cold at all. Heat seemed to be emanating from Draco's body to hers. The feeling made her restless. There was a kind of magic in the air that was entirely their own, fabricated out of thin air.

Luca momentarily let go of Draco and rested the side of her face against his shoulder. His chest was heaving, both his arms now wrapped around her waist. 'I…', Draco seemed to want say something, but no words came out. Luca straddled his neck and she saw him wince slightly at the touch of her cold fingers. It caused a hot spark of excitement in the pit of her stomach. Her fingers slid downwards towards the collar of his blouse, and then to the opening of his shirt. Draco gave her a soft kiss, apparently attempting to say something again. 'Luca…', she heard him whisper in a hoarse voice.

She kissed him back, not wanting to break the spell. Draco's mouth was hot on hers and his hands roamed freely over her back. Luca was now fumbling with the first button of his school blouse, all the while being slightly distracted by Draco's hands which had found the small of her back. Within a matter of seconds, she had undone the first few buttons, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She had no plan, no idea where all of this was going, but she couldn't force herself to stop and think about it.

'Luca…', Draco said a little louder, in between kisses. Luca's fingers worked fast, and had now managed to unbutton his shirt completely. Without thinking, she placed one hand under the thin cotton fabric and softly traced the bare skin of his upper chest with her fingertips. Draco seemed to hold his breath for a few seconds. She could hear his heart beating as loud as if it was her own.

'Maybe we shouldn't….', Draco said, his voice merely a whisper now. Luca wasn't sure what would happen if she continued to undress the Slytherin boy, but she knew he did not want her to stop. His labored breathing and the fast drum of his heartbeat betrayed him. Luca's other hand lingered on his flat stomach. It was clearly noticeable that he'd lost some weight during the last couple of months, but his lanky frame was still very handsome and suited him well.

Draco made a muffled noise that sounded like a groan of frustration before he pressed his lips on hers again. He kissed her more aggressively than before, slightly pushing her head back with the force of it.

Experimentally, Luca folded her fingers around his belt. It had the desired effect; Draco let out of muffled groan and bit her lower lip in apparent excitement. Before Luca could tease him any further, she suddenly noticed how his hand had slid from her lower back to her hips and had pulled her blouse from her skirt. One warm hand slid under the fabric and Luca let out an involuntarily yelp. Even in the surrounding darkness, she could see a smirk appear on Draco's pale face.

She was now determined to take off his shirt completely. With one hand, she pulled the fabric over his right shoulder. Draco's fingers were still tracing lines over her stomach and they were slowly creeping upwards. Encouraged, Luca tried pulling his blouse over both his shoulders. As if only now realizing what was happening, Draco suddenly pulled his hands from her body and stepped back. 'No!', he called out, a little out of breath. His eyes were widened and his hair was a disheveled silver mess.

Luca looked at him with confusion. She had expected him to show some hesitation, assuming he had no experience in this field just like her. But this was beyond any response she had anticipated. Draco seemed panicked, even frightened. Then Luca noticed him clutching his left arm. His blouse fell loosely down his back, but still hugged both his underarms.

A terrible comprehension began to dawn upon Luca. She stared at Draco's arm and then back at his contorted face. 'Draco…', her voice was soft but steady. 'Show me your left arm'. At those words, Draco swallowed visibly and his face seemed to lose all remaining color. Then he spoke.

'Please.' It was a desperate plea, so filled with sorrow that it shattered Luca's heart but she had no choice. She had to know the truth. 'Show me Draco'. Now her voice trembled slightly, but she was determined. Draco's bare shoulders were trembling and his grey eyes were fixed upon the floor. 'You don't understand', he croaked. 'I told you I had a terrible secret and you can't find out.' He sounded almost angry now, refusing to look at her.

Luca's hand encircled his left wrist. 'I know you're not going to stop me.' Draco said nothing. He was still staring down, avoiding her gaze. Luca's heartbeat was thrumming so loudly in her ears that it was deafening. Her left hand held his wrist while her right rolled up Draco's sleeve.

Luca felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. The skin of Draco's left forearm was branded with a black skull and a large snake protruding from its mouth. Luca felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out the air. She struggled to breathe normally. Her nails dug into Draco's wrist as she stared at the Dark Mark on his arm. Draco's eyes were still fixed upon the ground but she saw his eyelashes flutter as if he was trying to will away any tears. His chest was falling and rising rapidly, as if he'd been running.

The enchanted mist around them dissolved. Now there was nothing to shelter them from the darkness and the silence that was swallowing them. Luca just stood there, nailed to the ground. She felt as if someone had paralyzed her. The wind picked up and swept the roof. Luca barely noticed it rip at her clothes. Beneath them at the grounds, a dog barked.

Slowly, as if someone has slapped a reset button in her brain, she started to move again. Luca raised one fist and slammed it down against Draco's chest. Draco didn't wince or move. He just kept staring at the ground, a hardened expression on his face.

Flashes of anger passed through Luca. She hit his chest again, with more force this time. Draco staggered slightly on his feet, but he didn't look up. 'No!' She exclaimed, her voice shrill with emotion.

She pounded her fists against his chest once more. 'Look at me!'

Draco blinked fast. 'Look at me _Draco Malfoy_! _'_ Luca yelled at him, so loud, that she could feel her throat burn.

Finally, Draco's looked up and faced her. She saw a mixture of desperation, anger, and panic etched in his handsome features. Now that he was looking directly at her, all the breath seemed to be knocked out of her again, and she let go of him completely. Lost for words, she took a step back. For the first time since they had met, she felt intimidated by his presence.

This gesture seemed to wound Draco. The corner of his mouth twitched, and something dangerous flickered in his eyes.

Without warning, he flared up, like a wild animal about to strike. Within a few seconds, he had her pressed with her back against the wall again, clutching his left arm and holding it under her nose.

'Is this not what you expected?!' he yelled back, his voice harsh and cold.

'Is this not what you signed up for?!'

Luca felt her insides turn to ice at these words. She looked at the jet-black mark on his arm and swallowed. A rush of adrenaline passed through her and seemed to render her rational thinking temporarily useless.

'No. I wouldn't have fallen in love with a murderer.'

It was that mark; that ugly, evil, wretched mark, that blinded her with rage and fear in equal measure.

Draco's expression hardened even further. His limbs stiffened and his eyes became strangely glazed. Luca watched him apprehensively, as he staggered back, covering up his arm again. Luca had never seen him like that before. It was as if all emotion had been drained from his features and he now moved mechanically.

'I knew I should have never trusted you'. If Luca hadn't seen Draco's lips move, she would have sworn that it wasn't him speaking. The voice in which he now spoke, was brisk and very harsh, but also flat and toneless. It sounded absolutely nothing like the slightly sneering voice Luca had come to associate with him. 'You never really trusted me', Luca threw back, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

'It was me who never should have trusted you.' She knew she would regret her words later, but they kept rushing out of her. Her rage was making her nauseous, kept her head spinning like some sick drug. 'I was wrong about you. You are _exactly_ like your father.'

Draco did not react at all, but just kept staring at her with the same hard, mechanical expression on his face.

'I hexed Katie and put an imperius curse on that barmaid. I tried telling you, but you wouldn't hear it. Surely deep down, you knew it was true. You just didn't want to acknowledge that I was not a tortured, innocent soul that you could save. I _never_ said I could be saved.'

It felt as if Draco's words had slashed open closed wounds, and Luca was now bleeding all over the stone floor, all her emotions spilling out of her. A strange sense of unreality washed over her. She couldn't comprehend the sudden change in him, his unusual strange and harsh demeanor.

He never said he could be saved. He was feeling sorry for himself, was he? She felt a rush of renewed adrenaline as she tore at her blouse, baring her right shoulder at Draco. The skin from the inner part of her collar bone, to the curve of her upper-arm was marred by a large, reddish scar. Large teeth marks adorned the ruined flesh, and the skin seemed to have been completely torn off at some places.

'At least I tried. Nobody can save me from this.'

Draco's eyes widened in shock and for a few seconds, Luca felt triumphant. At last, she had gotten an emotional reaction out of him. The feeling didn't last long. The expression of horror on Draco's face was making her feel sick to her stomach.

'Of course', Draco whispered hoarsely, more to himself than to Luca. He was putting a puzzle together in his mind, and only now that he had received the last clue, did the pieces started falling into place.

The secret appointments with Snape, the savage expression reflected on her face, the reoccurring sick days after which she always looked dreadful, and her Patronus….

'A werewolf…. you're a werewolf.'


	10. Revelations

Revelations

Draco's mind was spinning so fast that it seemed to almost blur his sight. How had Luca become a werewolf? And how had he only just now noticed the signs? He dug his nails into his palm, hard. A small jet of pain sparked through his hand and steadied him slightly. He could only think of one werewolf that might have maimed a girl like Luca on purpose.

And he was, like Draco, a Death Eater.

'Yes, I am.' Luca's words pierced the silent night sky and Draco snapped back to reality. She did not look afraid, or shocked, or even sad anymore. She now gazed at him with unmistakable defiance in her pale blue eyes.

It was as if she half expected Draco to jerk away from her, to call her a monster, or perhaps even to tell her that he was ashamed to have kissed such a tainted girl. The thought that Luca expected such actions from him, made Draco feel even more miserable than he already did.

He felt as if he was ready to die. For the first time in his life, the thought of death seemed inviting; not because he wanted die, but simply to stop this slow torture of his soul.

His secret was out, his mark revealed. Not only did the only girl he'd ever loved despise him, if she'd tell anyone about him, he would be finished. If Voldemort wouldn't kill him, then he would surely be expelled from Hogwarts and shunned from the wizarding society for the rest of his life.

He saw no way out of this mess.

The moment Luca had called him a murderer, he had known it. She had been the only one who had believed in him and now she too, had seen him as the person he was destined to be.

A coward. A murderer.

 _A Death Eater._

He wanted to stop feeling; to simply cast a spell and turn off the parts of his brain that he didn't need anymore. But it was impossible, and so he suffered beneath the mask.

That proud mask. It was the only useful skill his father had ever taught him, how to shape it and how to wear it. It was the only thing that stood between him throwing himself at Luca's feet and begging her not to abandon him.

He was a Malfoy. He wouldn't beg.

Draco's lips trembled slightly, as he tried to keep his intern struggle from showing on the outside. But what did it even mean anymore, being a Malfoy?

He had always been taught that being a Malfoy meant being practically royal, that it meant being privileged, being better than the rest. But he didn't feel privileged now, not anymore.

He felt _cursed_.

Luca spoke again, still staring at Draco.

'You know who did this to me, don't you?' Draco nodded stiffly. He had guessed it, and it seemed foolish to deny.

'Fenrir Greyback', Luca drawled the words with a look of the utmost loathing on her face. 'He came to the house where I was hiding and took a large bite of me. Not in his human form of course. He was a raging, demented _monster_!' Luca spat out the last word, and for a moment she looked quite savage, a dangerous flicker in her eyes.

'But that was never the plan. No…. your dear master wasn't after _me_. He wanted my father. He wanted him, because he worked at the department of mysteries and Voldemort wanted to possess these unknown secrets.' Luca's chest was heaving. She was half-shouting the words at Draco, who felt his inside cringe at every word.

'My deluded uncle', Luca spat.

'Always an outsider, infatuated with the dark arts. He led him to my family. He had joined the Death Eaters and tried to persuade my parents to join too. He tried relentlessly!'

All of Luca's bitterness, frustration, and built-up resentment, seemed to pour out of her as she hurled the words at Draco. '

'But of course, it was all in vain', Luca continued, her eyes flashing savagely in the moonlight.

'My parents would rather _die_ than join the dark side, so groups of Death Eaters started to come over to our house. And that is how I know your father. I saw him sitting in my parent's living room with his pals, throwing threats and insults at them, hoping they would budge under the pressure.'

Luca drew a large breath and exhaled raggedly. The force with which she was yelling the story caused her to be slightly out of breath.

'To no avail again, so Voldemort decided it was time to act upon those threats. We moved several times to get away from the Death Eaters, but each time they hunted us down', Luca panted slightly, her voice hoarse from straining it.

'He threatened to have Greyback bite me, and my parents sent me to my great-aunt's house to make sure I was protected. Her house was protected by the fidelius charm, so it seemed the safest option. They took refuge somewhere else, in order to help distract the Death Eaters from my hiding place.'

'It didn't work. My great-aunt's secret keeper was captured and tortured until she gave up the location. Just a week after I moved in, two Death Eaters came bursting through our living room. They were each holding a silver chain that was attached to the collar of an enormous, savage looking werewolf.'

Luca paused for a moment, as if she was bracing herself for what was to come.

'They had taken out Greyback during the full moon to ensure maximal damage.'

Draco felt sick. He thought he couldn't hear anymore, but Luca went on relentlessly. She seemed unable to stop herself.

'It was pain like I had never felt before', she whispered in a dangerously low voice. 'My great-aunt brought me to St. Mungo's, where they tried to minimalize the scarring and prevent infection.'

Luca traced a light finger over the now covered up scar on her right shoulder. 'They gave me a dozen potions, cast healing spells, and put on bandages. Greyback's claws had left great gashes along my back and stomach. Werewolf venom was spreading rapidly through my system. It took me four weeks of agony to recover.'

Luca shuddered and she shook her head, as if trying to rid herself of the painful memory.

'Of course, that pain was nothing compared to the first transformation', she added bitterly.

Draco wanted to say something, anything, but he felt lost for words. His suffering so far seemed minimal compared to what Luca had been through. Also, comforting her now, after he had just discovered his Dark Mark, must've seemed ingenuine.

'After I was fit to travel again, I found my parents' hiding place. They were horror struck by what had happened to me, but glad that I was, at least, still alive. We made plans to flee abroad in an attempt to escape Voldemort for good. But before we could leave, my uncle came knocking to our door.'

Draco heard himself gasp slightly. Luca ignored this.

'He had heard what the Death Eaters had done to me, he wanted out. Apparently, he'd never truly believed that Voldemort would go through with his threats. So foolish…', Luca shook her head again, and now Draco saw tears burning in her eyes.'

'Nobody just _quits_ being a Death Eater. My parents knew Voldemort would seek retribution, but they couldn't turn my uncle away. He was family after all, and he was truly filled with remorse. One night, we secured a secret address abroad, and readied a portkey. That was the same night my mother died.'

A few tears had escaped Luca, and were rolling down her cheeks, glistening in the faint moonlight.

'They killed… they killed her because she was closest… to my uncle. They killed her… as retribution… for him leaving', Luca sobbed and she was momentarily overcome with emotion.

Then she composed herself, wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her hand.

'And when I met you, I saw you struggling and hurting. I thought you were like me!', Luca yelled, her fury returning in full capacity.

'I thought you were a victim too! Trying to fight him! Trying to resist him and your father!' Luca's chest was falling and rising rapidly and her eyes were filled with uncontrolled rage.

'BUT YOU WERE ON HIS SIDE. YOU WERE FOLLOWING HIS ORDERS ALL THIS TIME!' she screeched, and Draco saw the wolf in her, reflected upon her elegant features.

Draco felt all remaining color drain from his face. He had no defense. This night could not become any worse. He wanted it all to stop. He wished he could pass out, right there on top of the tower.  
He didn't care about Voldemort's plans, or his father's wishes. He didn't even care about his own safety anymore. All he wanted was for Luca to understand his position, and for her to forgive him.

'I'm not.'

Luca's eyes widened at his words. Even though he had whispered them, he knew she had heard him perfectly.

'I'm not on his side', Draco said, a little louder. Luca's seemed to struggle with her reply. Then, she gave him a sarcastic look and said wryly: 'So that mark on your arm is just your idea of a cool tattoo to impress the ladies?'

Draco felt his heartbeat quicken and his own anger rising. Why wouldn't she let him explain? Hadn't she promised him to be on his side no matter what? Why was she, like everyone else, always so keen to dismiss him as just another rotten Malfoy boy?

'Look, I cannot imagine what it must be like to go through what you went through-' he started, but Luca interrupted him, unable to stop her temper from flaring up.

'- No, you don't! You have no idea!'

Draco bit the inside of his mouth so hard that he tasted the metallic taste of blood.

'I know that, that's what I'm saying. But please, just _listen_ to me', he said, trying keep his voice calm.

'Why should I listen to you now? What excuse is there?' she said venomously.

'JUST LISTEN', Draco bellowed at her, and he felt a slightly elated as he saw Luca jump a little from shock.

'Do you think it was easy, watching my father gravel at Voldemort's feet, reduced to a puppet, completely reliant on his mercy?! Do you think I was thrilled to have my family home invaded by Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort himself, which destroyed nearly every happy childhood memory I have in that house?!' He was screaming back at her, his dried-up throat aching with the strain.

'Do you think I enjoyed myself, while Voldemort made me use the cruciatus curse on prisoners, telling me that if I refused, he would use it on me instead?!' Draco said, now speaking in a menacingly soft voice.

He saw Luca's face grow even paler than she had been before, and he felt an odd feeling of triumph, which faded instantly as the image of Luca's mutilated shoulder sprung in his mind's eye.

'You see, it's easy for you to believe that what you're doing is right. You have been raised to hate the dark arts. You have been told that to fight bravely against Voldemort and his followers is the only way. There has never been an alternative for people like you, like your parents, like Potter and all his admirers', Draco continued breathlessly.

'But for me….', he swallowed.

'Being a Malfoy is different. My whole life, others have told me who I was and what I should believe in. No child believes that their parents are on the wrong side of things. No child would ever think that their parents are the villains. They all think of them as the heroes.'

Draco felt his hands starting to freeze in the cold night air.

'I don't think of them as the heroes anymore but…. they are still my parents.'

He felt a surging, desperate need for Luca to understand. She had to. He didn't want her to think of him as a coward. He wasn't a coward. He wouldn't be a coward.

And at that moment, something inexplicable happened. Draco saw the air shift before his eyes, and suddenly he felt a shock pass through his body.

His veins thrummed with power. He didn't even utter the word, though he must have thought it subconsciously, because he felt Luca's mind yield to his will and crack.

One moment, Luca had been watching Draco's dark silhouette in the dim light, the next, a series of vivid images started to unfurl before her eyes.

A little boy appeared, no more than four years old, with silky white blond hair and a pair of big eyes.  
He was standing in a driveway outside an enormous white mansion. He was holding his mother's hand and looking anxiously at a boy opposite him. The other boy, brown-haired and slightly taller than the former, sniggered at him.

' _This is Theo. He's the son of daddy's old friend. I think you two will be good friends', Narcissa said to her son, her voice airy and sweet. Little Draco's bottom lip quivered._

' _I don't want any new friends. I have Eddy', he said, in a defiant tone, his jaw set._

' _Oh, but darling I told you, Eddy is a muggle. You won't really like him. He's not like you, remember? This is Theo Nott. He's the son of daddy's old friend. I think the two of you will be great friends', Narcissa said, and she smiled encouragingly at her son._

 _Little Theodore pulled a face at Draco. 'You look weird.'_

 _The blonde toddler started to cry._

The scene faded, and quickly rearranged itself. Now, Luca was looking at a luxurious drawing room with expensive tapestries on the walls and a marble floor. A man with long, silver hair that matched Draco's, sat in a black leather arm chair, reading a newspaper. A boy came bursting into the room. He seemed several years older now, and was wearing what looked like expensive dress robes. His father looked up, disturbed in his reading.

' _Daddy, I don't understand why I have to wear these at dinner. They are tight. Why can't I wear my normal robes? It's just auntie Bella and Theo's dad and all that are coming', young Draco protested._

 _Lucius Malfoy folded his paper and put it on the coffee table beside his chair. He gave his son a stern look. 'You will wear them because you are old enough now. We have to look our best when we receive guests. Appearances are everything, do you understand?'_

 _The blonde boy nodded, while looking like he didn't understand at all what his father meant._

' _Oh, and you're too old to be calling me daddy anymore. You're six years old now. From now on, you will address me as "father".' Lucius picked up his paper again, and disappeared behind it._

 _Draco frowned, but turned around and slouched out of the room, looking sour._

The scene dissolved again and a new one sprang into life before Luca's eyes. She found herself looking at a large table full of people. They were sitting in a magnificent looking dining room, which in no doubt, also belonged to Malfoy Manor. Lucius Malfoy sat at the head of the table, his wife on his left hand, and Draco at his right. Draco's silver blonde hair was combed back, and a playful smirk played around his lips. He looked around 11 years old now.

' _Draco is an excellent flyer. He is such a quick learner. There will be no doubt that he will amaze all the teachers, not to mention the other students, when he goes to Hogwarts after the summer', Lucius Malfoy was saying loudly, to the room at large._

 _Draco seemed to radiate with delight as his father continued to speak his praise. 'But of course, he's always been a talented boy. After all, how could he not be? Pure blood always makes a great wizard'._

 _A few people at the table made sounds of agreement, nodding in response, and a woman with black, long, hair raised her glass. 'To my sweet nephew Draco: may he grow up to be a powerful wizard, and make his family proud.'_

 _The guests at the table raised their glasses in unison, murmured: "to Draco", and drank._

 _Draco's mouth had formed a thin, satisfied smile. 'Thank you father, thank you aunt Bellatrix. I will not disappoint you. Now, please let me make a toast of my own.' He raised his glass, which was filled with mead._

' _To the Dark Lord'. The words echoed through the room, as the other Death Eaters repeated the words, louder this time, and drained they glasses._

 _Bellatrix Lestrange's voice could be heard above them all, and she gave Draco a proud look. Narcissa, who had only nipped her wine, also glanced at her son, but did not smile._

The dining room disappeared and was replaced by a large sitting room. A fire was crackling pleasantly in a stone fireplace, and the floor was covered by a large, white, animal skin. Draco and his father were sitting on a leather couch opposite the fire. Narcissa was seated in an arm chair, reading a book. There was a mixture of frustration and anxiety on Draco's pale face.

' _I simply don't understand how that Potter boy could have made the team in his first year, and you didn't', his father said to him coldly._

' _I mean, I used to live with muggles. He couldn't have taken a flying lesson in his life!'_

 _Draco clenched his jaw, looking resentful. 'I don't know how he did it! They're just favoring him because he's famous. Everyone is so interested in him.'_

 _Lucius made an impatient sound. 'What does it matter if he's famous or not? You're a Malfoy. Surely you can do better than a boy like him. We had such high hopes for you Draco'._

 _Draco glanced at his mother, but she remained absorbed in her book, even though it was clear that she could hear every word of their conversation._

' _I'm sorry father. I will make the team next year.'_

 _Lucius nodded stiffly and got to his feet. 'Yes, you will. And I will make it happen. If you're not capable of doing it yourself, I'll have to take matters in my own hands.'_

 _He walked out of the room. Draco's grey eyes followed him, his hands balled into fists._

And then Luca was watching something that looked like a sped-up film. Draco, arrogantly shoving his new Nimbus 2001 in Harry's face, sneering. Draco, falling to the ground while a hippogriff clawed wildly at his arm. Draco, parading the corridors wearing a "Potter Stinks" badge on his chest.

Then, the images slowed, and Luca saw Draco, lanky and tall, his face contorted with anger. He was walking down a dark alleyway, closely followed by his mother, who also looked older and more lined.

' _What you've got to understand Draco, is that your father was simply doing as he was ordered. It will be alright. The Dark Lord will rise to even greater power, and Lucius will be released from Azkaban', Narcissa said in an undertone, even though the alley was quite deserted._

' _Yeah? And why do you reckon that, mother? Father means nothing to him. He should never have gone to the ministry', Draco growled at his mother, his voice trembling with rage._

' _You know very well that your father had no choice', Narcissa snapped at her son. 'Your father is a loyal man-'_

' _\- loyal?! To whom? To him?! How about he shows some loyality to us! We're his family! He should be here, with_ _ **us**_ _! Protecting_ _ **us**_ _!' Draco looked livid, as he rounded on his mother._

' _I know father always liked the idea of being in league with the dark side, but I know he never actually wanted Voldemort to_ _ **return.**_ _He just wants to prance around, and use the name of Death Eater to threaten and scare people! Now he's no more than a puppet, a-'_

 _ **Smack**_ _. Narcissa had slapped her son across the face, her jaw set, and her blue eyes narrowed._

' _You will not talk about your father like that. I understand you are furious Draco. I know you are scared. But in these difficult times, it is more prudent than ever to maintain appearances.'_

 _Draco's left cheek reddened, and his eyes were watering slightly._

' _But we've lost everything', he croaked in a strangled voice._

 _His mother cupped his sore cheek with her right hand, and stroked his white blonde hair with her left.  
Narcissa's gaze was full of fierce determination as she looked at her son. _

' _We will prevail Draco. We will survive this, and we will keep our heads high.'_

The dark alley faded and yet another, very recent scene unfolded. Luca saw the same sitting room she'd seen earlier, though this time it looked very differently, much less inviting and warm. The thick curtains were drawn, and the stone fireplace looked like a dark and eerie. Most of the furniture was swept aside, apart from the leather couch in the middle of the room. A snake was coiling and uncoiling on the large, white animal skin on the floor. Voldemort was sitting on the couch, his snake-like, red eyes fixed upon Draco, who was kneeling before him, and looking as white as a sheet.

' _You understand what is expected of you?' Voldemort's cold voice spoke to the terrified boy at his feet._

 _Draco stayed silent, trembling slightly in his kneeling position. He seemed unable to look at Voldemort and kept staring at the floor._

 _Voldemort raised his non-existent eyebrows. 'It's rude not to answer when someone is asking you a question, Draco.'_

 _Draco opened his mouth, still staring at the ground. 'Y-yes', he stumbled._

 _Voldemort smiled maliciously. 'Good. Now tell me Draco, are you excited to execute my orders? Prove yourself a loyal supporter of me, your master and lord?'_

 _Draco's mouth jerked slightly, but he didn't answer. His eyes were fixed even more resolutely on the ground. Voldemort's smile slipped from his face as he tutted softly._

' _Oh Draco, Draco….. I see aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you occlumency. You're quite skilled at it I must admit, but no one can conceal the truth from Lord Voldemort.' Voldemort's tone had become darker, and more menacing towards the end._

' _You don't like me being here, in your parents' house. You blame me for your father's imprisonment', Voldemort went on. Draco still kept his silence, though the small twitch in his shoulders gave him away._

' _I know how eager you are to prove yourself. You shouldn't dwell on your father's mistakes, they're not yours after all. Even though I know how hard it is to have a dreadful example of a father.'_

 _For the first time, Draco made a movement as though he wanted to look up, but he kept his head bowed. There was something more than fear reflected on his face now. There was a very slight hint of defiance in his grey eyes. Voldemort noticed it too, and he smiled again._

 _But before he could speak again, the door opened and a slender woman with sleek, blonde hair hurried in. Tears stained her sallow face, and her hands were trembling uncontrollably. She threw herself onto the floor next to her son, bowing her head and sobbing lightly._

' _Please my lord, he is just a boy. He will fail. He cannot possibly carry out your orders successfully. If only Severus would-' But Voldemort waved his hand carelessly and she felt silent at once._

' _It is decided Narcissa. Draco will do as he is told. He is a Death Eater now after all, just like your husband. Aren't you proud of your son?' Voldemort spoke softly, drawling out his last few words._

 _Narcissa let out a muffled sob and clutched her knees frantically. 'Yes of course, my lord. But-'_

' _And I expected you to be grateful for this chance to redeem your family- name from the shame Lucius bestowed upon it', Voldemort continued relentlessly._

 _Narcissa seemed at a loss for words, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. Draco placed one hand on her shoulder and she gasped slightly at his touch. He turned his head towards her._

' _It's alright mother. I will succeed.'_

 _Narcissa looked at her son and stroked his silky hair with one shaking hand, clutching the other to her mouth._

' _My son…', she whispered softly._

 _In the background, Voldemort laughed coldly at the scene, but mother and son did not seem to hear him._

With a gasp, Luca was called back to the present. The images faded from her mind's eye. She felt slightly dizzy, as if she had been riding a rollercoaster.

Before her stood the present Draco, as lanky and pale-faced as ever, looking as stunned as she did. His expression told her that he had seen everything she had, and that he had not meant it to happen. How _did_ he make it happen?

Draco was gazing back at her, shivering in the cold night air, and looking as if he might be sick. Then he spun on the spot and retched loudly. Gasping for air, he fell to his knees on the marble floor, retching and clinging to his chest. Luca felt panic spread through her brain like wildfire. What was wrong with him?

Then Draco threw up, the contents of his stomach spilling on the floor in sickening splashes.

'Draco!' Luca sped to his side, trying to avoid stepping in the pool of sick. 'Draco, are you alright?' What's wrong? Draco, please answer me! Are you hurting somewhere?'

Draco wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his silvery hair falling in his eyes.

To her utmost surprise, he _smiled._

Luca stared at him in bewilderment. Had that mind-trick he'd done earlier damaged his brain? Then Draco spoke, his knees shaking violently as he tried to get to his feet again.

'You don't hate me', he mumbled, smirking faintly at her.

Then he collapsed on the floor again, and passed out.


End file.
